Portrait of a Family

In the 90s of China, as economy was booming, many people chose to migrate to big cities in search of better jobs and opportunities. Due to limited energy and money, parents had no choice but to separate from their children, leaving them behind. Growing up without adequate attention and company from their parents, these “left-behind children” often feel confused about their parent's love and even feel neglected and unloved. Inspired by my own experience, I have pulled visual fragments from memory that reflect the complex experience of being neglected by parents, and I hope to delve into these intersecting narratives of familial neglect and longing through a photography project. Through staged photography, this series tells the story of a left-behind girl's discomfort and alienation after returning to her family and her struggle to reconnect with her parents and her younger brother, who she’s never met. The work attempts to touch upon the loneliness and longing she feels for being abandoned, showing her strong desire to re-establish emotional ties and for love.