Working Mother explores motherhood and the pressures of returning to work. The project reminds us that for many, initially, motherhood brings not only joy, but also the loneliness and stresses which can be associated with postnatal depression.
Shooting mostly at night, the photographs are of women as they return or are about to go to work. The portraits capture the short amount of time between work, taking care of their children and finally, sleep. The work is very self-reflective and involves a lot of the artist’s own experiences and feelings.
The photographs are accompanied by quotes taken from the subjects on their personal experiences of what many call the ‘baby blues’ and postnatal depression. PND is a largely underexposed yet common symptom post-birth. It is also something that is seen as a taboo subject. With many women feeling weakened and ashamed by their feelings and diagnosis, awareness needs to be made in order to de-stigmatise those feelings.