SHARED - exploring siblinghood through portraiture

The longest relationship we will ever have is commonly with a person we did not even choose to grow up with - our sister or brother. This relationship is extraordinary both in a physical and spiritual way, but does carry its reverse too. Out of all our relationships this might well be the trickiest one. Underneath the cohesion and love, there are more complex emotions like competition, envy and concern for the other. Photographs shown here explore the siblinghood through portraiture. They show the physical closeness between siblings and simultaneously underline the uncomfortable of being so close to someone. Looking at the siblings we are not only searching for the likeness, but also studying their differences and observing the power relationships in the portrait. Togetherness in the photographs is built around simple gestures like holding, grabbing or quietly leaning to another. Particularly different ways of touching the other has become a crucial part of the work. It is captivating to follow how some of the siblings are united while being portrayed, whereas some are suffering from being so close to each other.  Recently my interest towards the spiritual connection between the siblings has taken over. Older siblings guarding and guiding their little sisters and brothers. At times it feels like one can sense the other one’s intentions. Instead of striving for showing only the physical connection and appearances, I’m chasing the aura of each pair. We use our siblings as our mirrors, through them we study both our worshipped and unwanted features. As a result we quickly begin to see ourselves in a relation to another. As a little sister myself, and as a mother of two little children, there are many personal interests involved too. No matter how equal we wanted to see our family relationships, there is always some disparity. This disparity, along with the comparison between the siblings, continue to follow us throughout our lives.  I often photograph strangers and many times an unique long-lasting relationship is built. As a photographer I am focused on how we see ourselves, and how that image differs from the one we see in the photograph. We are so afraid of someone capturing us, and we being unable to figure out this person. I am hugely fascinated by the act of posing, and as children grow, I love to witness how a just-standing-there changes into actively posing.