Mother
2016 - 2017
Mother explores my Bulgarian cultural identity and my relationship with my mother and my homeland. Due to my migration to England elements of my cultural identity, and well as aspects of my relationship with my mother have changed. Mother consists of a sound piece and a series of self-portraits.
The self-portraits aim to create a domestic atmosphere, a sense of home and belonging, referencing the mother figure as well as my Bulgarian cultural background. They were photographed during several trips to Bulgaria, while I was living in England. The title Mother references Bulgarian revolutionary literature, where the mother is used as a symbol of the homeland.
The sound piece is a juxtaposition of recordings created in Bulgaria, working in collaboration with my mother. The sounds are diverse but are all connected to my family and everyday life in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian language is crucial to the soundtrack as it is an important part of my cultural identity, and it is a language I rarely hear in my current country of residence. Although the work is autobiographical, it aims to resonate with the wider issues of migration, family and place.
