Love & Fear
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Dates2021 - Ongoing
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Author
- Location United States, United States
Love & Fear a series of self-portrait photographs
In 2020, the challenges of a global pandemic inspired me to create a new body of work that helped me to understand the relationship with my mother, and to explore the importance of the human mind and well-being. Often, we take for granted the value of taking care of ourselves and others, especially women. What I learned throughout this process is that the human mind is very fragile, and love or fear can shape a person's mental and emotional health.
My mother suffered deep trauma during the lockdowns. A very independent woman now in her 60s not able to do her regular activities affected her mental health drastically. For me to see my mother suffer in this painful way showed me that life can be so fragile, in the same way that rose loses her petals. I’ve always looked at my mother as this brave independent woman who takes care of her children unconditionally, and in less than a year the role shifted.
For example, with the image Mother, Broken in Two Pieces, there is uncertainty. the pink fresh roses are used as a symbol of life and the dried roses are the representation of death. I have an appreciation for pink roses because it reminds me of gentle love and the sweet nurture of mother’s love. I believe deeply that love can heal someone's wounds, and bring joyful days into your life. Love, can also disappear like the roses that leave dry features behind.
My creative process begins with a connection between feeling and memory, or experience that creates a deep concern within me. The ideas come from different sources such as fashion design, and history of painting. I love color and use it expressively. I carefully consider props, flowers, clothes, and lighting techniques.
I strive to understand the dynamic that beauty plays in my surroundings. Beauty exists in every form, and my goal is to show beauty throughout photography where it is difficult to find and underappreciated. For this reason, I work with flowers of all kinds. They are a pure representation of beauty.
