Untitled (Image Transfers), 2022 - present
During the pandemic, while caring for a newborn and a toddler, I felt an overwhelming need to photograph myself. Using my own body in a raw and honest way, I reflect on maternal ambivalence and the toll that motherhood takes on a person. At the end of exhausting days—both physically and mentally drained, with nothing left to give—I stood in front of the camera to document what remained of me. Motherhood leaves many scars, both emotional and physical, which I explore through the fragmented assembly of body images. In the final compositions, my body appears disjointed, out of proportion, and submerged in an underwater-like state, evoking a sense of drowning and barely holding on.
In this recent work, I employ an image transfer technique, printing photographs of my body onto transparencies and using hand sanitizer to transfer fragments onto large sheets of paper. I manipulate the process with tools like a brayer, bone folder, and squeegee, applying varying pressure to alter the outcome. In a way, I am attempting to piece myself back together, only to realize that the fragments no longer fit as they once did. The resulting images form a composite of my body, exposing the daily discomforts and transformations that come with motherhood. This exploration of maternal identity unfolds through the spontaneous markings and distortions that emerge during the transfer process.
I embrace the experimental nature of this technique, leaning into the unpredictability—much like my experience of motherhood itself. The labor-intensive process mirrors caregiving: time-consuming, rigorous, and requiring constant adaptation to unforeseen challenges. Surrendering control is an essential part of both.
