This is an ongoing personal project started as part of a documentary photography workshop with Deepti Asthana where I document the story of my mother and her struggle with Parkinson's disease. In the course of four weeks, the workshop steered artists to build a narrative using photography. It was exhibited to the workshop participants in multimedia format that can be viewed here.
My mother was diagnosed with Parkisons when I was still in high school. As a teenager, I was unprepared to see the struggles my mother had to go through in coping with her disorder. I resented the responsibility at a time when I desired freedom to do what I wanted. Over the course of two decades, I started to realize the battle was not hers alone, but mine too as a caregiver. As her abilities deteriorated to the demands of the disease I had to step in and help her lead a dignified life. Resentment turned to acceptance. Her stubborn independence to perform her tasks without seeking help and her resilient spirit continues to amaze me to this day. Through this series of photographs I want to explore the unseen world of those suffering with Parkinsons and its impact on familial relationships. A lifetime caring for my mother has been an emotional journey of joyous and bittersweet moments. These photographs intend to serve as my memory of her as it fades away and is engulfed by the disease. I aim to bring out the tender everyday moments from her tiny bedroom where she copes with the loss of her abilities. The monochrome portraits tackle the ideas of memory, spirituality and nurture when caring for a loved one dealing with a debilitating disorder.
