Série - FotoSlovo 2026 - Category « Portrait »

This project explores aging, memory and connection in a world defined by rapid social and technological change. The work focuses on my 90-year-old mother as she navigates life alone in rural Australia. Through an intimate portrayal of her daily routines this series of photographs reflects on questions of independence, belonging, and resilience in later life.

I live in the UK and we both struggle with the emotional and physical distance between us. I visit my mother once a year for one to two months condensing intense emotions into a short period. Her refusal to engage with modern technology such as smart phones video calls and email reveal a generational tension: the struggle to remain connected and relevant as technology reshapes how we live and relate to one another.

My mother has sadly recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. These images are reflections on her house and garden as symbols of grief and attachment and a way for me to process my inevitable loss. My father, who died 18 years ago, built the home they shared. Despite the challenges of maintaining the property, she cannot bear to leave it. The house embodies her love, loss and memories of my father. Her attachment to it speaks to the emotional depth of her relationship with the past and her determination to remain independent while navigating her aging physical limitations.

Through this body of work, I hope to explore the boundaries between holding on and letting go, tradition and progress. What does it mean to age in an era that prioritises speed and innovation, and how does identity endure within the quiet rhythms of everyday life. It is both a personal reflection on family and a contemplation on the resilience of women navigating change on their own terms.