In July 2016 I gave birth to Grace. Although I was prepared for her dependence on me, I didn’t realise how little time I would have for me. I’m not referring to time for pampering or catching up and going out with friends. I’m talking about the brief periods in the day where you can shut off from the world, daydream and reflect – time for you and you alone.
Moriyama once referred to his photographs as ‘private letters that I write to myself.’ Postpartum is a collection of my private letters that I have written to myself and consists of stolen moments since Grace’s arrival. This work is intensely personal and serves as a reminder that even in my new circumstances I can still find time for self-expression and gathering memories. In many respects, this work is a search for my own desires not to lose my sense of self or to be forgotten.
By keeping my camera close I was able to record these fleeting moments when they arose. My approach to this work has been more random than previous projects where I preferred a more structured method. My shooting style has become more democratic – I see all the subjects as the same and as part of one reality – my reality. I have no explanation for the importance of the subjects in my images other than their subjective worth as pieces of my journey to find a new niche in a world of familiar surroundings. There is no right or wrong, they simply exist to show this time in my life.