Let's Play the Quiet Game
Embroidered mixed-media collage || paper and thread || 32h x 24 w cm or 12.6h x 9.5w inches
The series Family Matters is intended to celebrate yet question the value of families by subverting the family portrait. Customarily one of the most important things to hang in a home, the family portrait is intended as a permanent reminder of each family member. In a deliberate contrast to traditional formal portraits, the young siblings in these photographs have been captured mid-brawl. The fights have been digitally collaged into “perfect homes” from interior design magazines to emphasize the tension between the public and private portrayal of the family. The siblings' struggle is repeatedly blurred and layered over to illustrate how childhood memories can be both magnified and suppressed. The paper has been torn and stitched together to represent the juxtaposition of the strength and the fragility of the family unit.