"Life-Giving": A Photo Project on How to Maintain Yourself After Becoming a Mother

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An artist working at the intersection of photography and She creates original objects, such as collages, embroidery, and sculptures. She is a finalist in both Russian and international photography competitions, including ARGUS and the Sony World Photography Awards. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions both in Russia and abroad. She currently lives and works in Kansk, Krasnoyarsk Krai.

In 2022, photographer Yulia Ovchinnikova became a mother for the second time, giving birth to a daughter. This new role as a mother forced her to deeply reflect on important aspects of life, such as the continuity of generations, questions of inner freedom and unfreedom, as well as responsibility, harmony, and the choices each of us makes. Reflecting on the role of the mother and her influence on family traditions opens new horizons for understanding life and relationships between generations.

I realized that I was repeating the scenarios that were inherent in women of my kind - choosing duty and obedience, ignoring my own desires. This internal protest arose from a feeling of injustice: I have a right to my life and my dreams. It is important to realize that every woman deserves freedom of choice and the realization of her needs. Breaking the cycle of sacrifice and submission allows one to unlock one's potential and find harmony between duty and personal desires.

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These reflections formed the basis for a new photography project. By the time work on it began, Yulia had been socially isolated for almost ten years, combining raising children with freelancing. The new project became an opportunity for her to express her feelings and experiences, as well as to regain lost connections with the outside world.

There's a common social model that a happy mother should be grateful for her children and rejoice in motherhood. However, this idealistic picture has another side. Yulia shares her experience: motherhood isn't just joy, but also fatigue, a loss of self and desire, and dissatisfaction with changes in the body. Even with a deep love for children, these feelings can be overwhelming. Admitting this can sometimes be difficult, even to yourself. It was from these experiences that my project was born.

Work on the project lasted about ten months. The final version included just over forty photographs. Post-processing was kept to a minimum, including only color correction and collage creation, as the artist focused on the naturalness of the images.

I chose the method of controlled play and metaphorical perception of my sensory and visual experience through the use of current and archival photographs, as well as sculptures. The project is based on self-portraits. This gameplay process proved challenging for me, but I felt a sense of anticipation for new discoveries.

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The "Life Giving" project is a unique series of portraits of women from one family, spanning three generations. The focus is on Yulia, her mother and daughter, as well as the older women of their family. The artist was inspired by her family archive, which includes old black-and-white photographs. These images have become an important link between generations, reflecting history, traditions, and the unique destinies of women. Thus, the project not only preserves the memory of the past, but also emphasizes the importance of female strength and continuity in family relationships.

Yulia shares her thoughts on the lack of frank female conversations in the family, especially about what awaits a woman becoming a mother. She emphasizes the importance of discussing the changes one faces and the challenges that may arise during this period. Yulia notes that neither she nor her mother or grandmother had such conversations. She realized she wanted to have such a dialogue with her daughter. This project provides a unique opportunity for creative communication and sharing experiences, which undoubtedly contributes to strengthening family ties and preparing for motherhood.

The series includes clay figurines of women designed by Yulia and her husband. These unique pieces highlight the skill and creativity of the authors, and reflect their artistic vision. Every element of the figurines is meticulously crafted, making them not only aesthetically pleasing but also significant in the context of contemporary art.

In this project, I sought to unite masculine and feminine energies, so I invited my husband to collaborate. We created an homage to the Paleolithic Venus—the first sculptural depiction of a woman. Our figurines depict different stages of femininity: pregnancy, motherhood, and maturity. The Paleolithic Venuses emphasize those features considered most important in a woman. The head, arms, and legs are merely outlined, emphasizing the secondary importance of these details. The primary focus is on the wide hips and large breasts, symbolizing fertility. This woman is able to give birth and breastfeed children, and this is what makes her a valuable member of society.

During the creative process, one of the clay figurines got a crack. The artist decided not to fix the damage, seeing unique symbolism in it. This incident became an example for her of how imperfection can carry deep meaning and add character to a work of art. The cracked figurine became a symbol of accepting flaws and expressing inner strength, giving the work new depth and significance.

Metaphors are present in many photographs, both in images of individual objects and in portraits. These visual elements can convey deep meanings and emotions, creating multi-layered interpretations. Photographs become more than just images, but powerful means of expression, capable of telling a story or conveying a mood. Studying metaphors in photography opens new horizons for understanding visual art and expands the boundaries of perception of photographs.

In his film "Mirror", Andrei Tarkovsky uses the main character's hairstyle to symbolize the different stages of her life. At the beginning, she is shown as a young woman with beautiful loose hair, then her hair is braided, and later the braid is gathered into a bun. This imagery made a strong impression on Yulia.

It is not necessary to explain to viewers the artist's intentions in his work, the photographer believes. The perception of art is unique for each person and depends on individual emotions and life experiences. Each work can evoke various associations and feelings, making art multifaceted and rich. It's important to allow viewers to independently interpret the works, finding their own meanings and experiences in them. In this way, art becomes not only a means of artist expression but also opens new horizons for viewers.

The collision of viewer perceptions and the artwork creates new meanings and interpretations. It's fascinating to observe what people see in a given work. At the same time, it's also exciting, as the topic of motherhood is fraught with many prejudices and stereotypes. It's important to understand how different perspectives on motherhood can influence the perception of art and its meanings.

Yulia shares the story of how her mother initially did not want to participate in the filming. However, after persistent persuasion, she agreed and actively joined the process. This collaboration became the basis for an important conversation between mother and daughter, which Julia really needed.

We became closer to each other, and I realized how to properly interact with my daughter.

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