Single-Mom Photographer Documents Her Son Growing Up In The Most Touching Way
Taiwanese photographer Annie Wang took on the ambitious task of fusing two very different realms of her life together with her photo series "Mother As A Creator." She decided to self-represent her own life as a single mother instead of being "passively interpreted by a male artist" by documenting her's and her son's lives as he grows up.
The photos are an intimate look into Annie's and her son's life, and just show the power that lies in representing yourself as you wish to be seen.
2001, "The Day Before I Was Due To Give Birth"
For this beautiful image, Annie's scrawled "My belly, my baby, Annie, 4th June 2001" on her stomach. Like the title says, this was taken the day before she gave birth. I don't think it's a coincidence that the birth of the photo series also began with the birth of her son.
2002, "Pressing The Camera Shutter Together"
At one-year-old, Annie's son is just starting to become an active participant in her project. You can see behind them that she's chosen to hang her previous photo—an item that shows up throughout the series. Do we think her son's first words were "say cheese?"
2003, "My Son's Leg Was In A Plaster"
What a trooper her son is for posing despite having his leg in a cast. I think this one is my favorite photo of the series because it shows that Annie's committed to finishing the work despite the chaos that comes with raising a toddler.
2004, "Celebrating Christmas"
Annie loves to showcase items in her series that hint at where their lives are at the moment. So of course, she's going to show her son riding what's probably his favorite new toy he got that Christmas morning. I'm curious about the book and box she's holding...I wonder what she has planned?
2005, "Setting Up The Exhibition"
I think Annie hinted at the beginning of her exhibition with the previous photo's book and box. Here we can see her and her son working hard to set up an exhibition. Good for her for trusting him with paint because I know that I was such a messy kid that my mom never let me near the stuff.
2006, "Working Hard"
You can definitely see that even though these two have very different interests, they're still supporting each other like a mother and son do. Though, she can probably help him out more with his school work than he can with her work...
2010, "Moving And Uncertain"
There's a lot going on in this photo that hints at where they are in their lives now. It's been a few years since the last photo and Annie has gotten her degree, her son has forgone doodling for crafting paper airplanes, and they're moving places.
This Could Be The Exhibition She Was Setting Up
It's so cute to see these two posing in front of their photos. Whether or not this is the exhibition that these two were setting up before, it's so incredibly cute to see a son out and supporting his mom's work.
2011, "Making Dreams"
Now, instead of making paper airplanes that fly, these two are flying themselves! That particular dream of her son's seems to have come true, but I'm so interested in what's coming to fruition for Annie. I'm sure that it's incredible—if this beautiful photo is any hint.
2014, "At The Same Height"
I love how everything is at the same height in this photo—Annie, her son, and the tower of CDs, movies, and books. It just goes to show that as we grow, so do our interests.
2018, "Arguing For Freedom"
Maybe this is a political statement or maybe it's about how our kids grow up they want more independence. It's funny how this image mirrors the one from 2006, except Annie's son looks more unwilling to be a part of it. That's pretty par for the course for a 17-year-old.
