Clara Aldén (1988) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Gothenburg, Sweden. During the last few years, her practice has revolved mainly around topics of domesticity and the maternal. Within Aldéns artistic practice, motherhood is considered a practice and not a state of being. Likewise, this practice is not considered to be limited by biological bounds. This view is inspired by Donna Haraway’s thoughts on kin-making, and even if the interest for the maternal grew out of Aldéns own experiences of motherhood, her practice stretches away from direct biological connotations and explores the practice of maternity in the expanded notion. The notion of care, regarding interruption as a positive force, and trying to work in a relational and non-autonomous manner are important maternal aspects within her work. Collaboration is another important aspect, and within her latest projects, her children have been her most important collaborators.
Photography and text often have a symbiotic relationship; one aids and enhances our understanding of the other. We are able to create nuances of meaning by combining them.
In this project, I attempt to make sense of my expectations of motherhood, the reality of the experience and my emotional responses to both.
I use images and text relating to me and my daughter to explore the limitations of representation inherent in both mediums - it's impossible to fully represent the variety and breadth of the emotions or to show more than a tiny fragment of the relationship she and I share.