About This Project

Lika Banshoya

Now that I’m old, I think I look good. An intimate portrait of my mother where I learn how much her self image has evolved with time. I grew up with a very insecure mother with eating disorders, very concerned by her weight and other people’s. Witnessing how confident she was during this session was eye opening, going against what society tells us of what age does to women : suffering and invisibility. She was relaxed and confident throughout, she said she felt good about herself, loved all the photos I showed her. To quote her :« Now that I’m old,I think I look good » And she can’t understand how she felt so ugly when she was younger. It was also a very deep moment of connection with her, on an intellectual and emotional level. Creating is an act of love. As a photographer of people and a human myself, I know the struggle of learning to accept our reflection. Portrait photography, especially intimate portraits, and the way people react to it is not neutral. It tells a lot about someone’s perception of themselves. It has been an object of research and self exploration for the last years. Experiencing the model side of it as well allowed me to feel first hand the power of owning your image, how important of a stepping stone it can be on the way to self love. We all fight hard to accept who we are, it’s never too soon, it’s never too late either.

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