bear mother
2023
reclaimed fabrics, threads
180 × 110 cm

The inspiration for this work comes from the animal kingdom, to which, from a scientific perspective, we also belong. Yet my observations suggest that we share far more with animals than some of us would like to admit.

The titular Bear Mother is aggressive; she attempts to shield her offspring from all kinds of danger. In this sense, we — human mothers — are often not very different from her. We strive to protect our children, not only from the risks of growing up, but also from experiencing life on their own terms. We try to shield them from emotions that are uncomfortable, yet necessary for proper development. We isolate them from people who might influence them in ways different from what we would wish.

In other words, we treat another autonomous human being as a project of our own life, while their life belongs only to them.