Lullaby

Motherhood is a deep and wide world full of powerful forces. I started this project in the early days of 2021. Melbourne continued to move in and out of lockdown. Schools closed again, and day care was only for the children of authorised workers. I chose to document my experience with motherhood in this difficult time and show the various aspects of this unusual and unexpected journey. Through observation I learned a lot about my child’s personality, which helped me balance my life through this hard time. As our relationship adjusted to these new experiences, I realised that the journey of motherhood isn’t about giving up life and losing routine or career. It’s about taking care of a new soul that comes from the mother’s body, and watching the new soul grow in front of your eyes. Documenting this journey and the intimate moments has been valuable, and forms an important historical record for me, for my son, and I hope for others. Additionally, as a single Saudi Arabian mother living through this time my visual story seeks to complicate narratives of motherhood and to include the spectrum of challenges, small joys and lessons learnt. During the pandemic, freedoms were lost and patience was tested. In motherhood, this is a daily occurrence that often brings forth possibilities for connection, experience, and care. Everyday scenes become cinematic. Tantrums become lessons in patience. The phases of the moon reflect time passing. 'Lullaby' is a meditation on the intimate connections strengthened and tested during this time.

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Untitled, 2021  

pigment print  

420 x 297mm

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