Gränsland

Gränsland is a photographic study of the male versus female gaze and a nostalgic retrospect of the little child within us, entering adult life. Identity, eating disorders and family relationships are portrayed in diptychs and handwritten texts.

Gränsland is a Swedish word with no direct translation. It has a geographical meaning which English equivalent would be “borderland”. However, Gränsland can also be the middle ground between two time periods, or between fantasy and reality.

This concept is used in my photo project which explores nostalgia. It considers the changes most people go through in their 20s, and all the different paths we can choose from. It is the middle ground between youth and adult, child and grown-up. Some people go into further education, some go straight to work. Some of us go backpacking in other countries while others get children of their own. This is the essence of Gränslandet – the confusing and complex, yet beautiful, era of growth. The discovery of a new identity. 

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Gränsland is an inner journey exploring how childhood shapes personality and reflects on social expectations and parenting. The project questions where beauty standards are created, how the male gaze affects self-portrayal and the parallel feelings of being free and trapped simultaneously. Combining handwritten journals, self-portraits, and details from the surroundings, it tells the story of becoming a versatile woman in a society that requires labels.