'Sisters, I am weeping in silence but gravity keeps the tears falling.
They penetrate the fabric of control. How much closer can I get to your soul?' These pictures are family portraits though it may not be obvious at first glance. They deal with resistance against dominance and control. Words by Maria-Aurlia Riese
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“How much closer can I get to the shadow of your soul?”
Eyes are a portal, the window revealing the inner life of each individual soul. Each sister has been allotted a dedicated colour-coded voice in the form of the wash cloth, representing each repeated attempt to cleanse the memory-body of the many emotional stains.
The webbing of the coloured iron curtain is simply a metaphor for how it might feel to be trapped behind a system, or even expressing one’s individuality within a system itself defined by complex family dynamics.
Each sheet of paper unfolds to a single page of 30 x 42 cm (11.1/2 x 16.1/2 in). The binding is constructed by one central fold and each eye image is layered with a cloth colour matching the sisters eyelid. Each eye is hand-embellished with real eye shadow. The portfolio is presented in an opaque envelope and comes with an additional card which includes my story.
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Maria-Aurelia Riese , Hurston Studio Collective
Pulborough, West Sussex
United Kingdom
© Maria-Aurelia Riese 2025