TEARS OF MY MOTHER

Abstract

The series is called “Tears of My Mother.” The project consists of photographs taken on the territory of the Angkor Wat temple complex which symbolizes the Universe. The photograps depict burnt incense sticks on the fallen leaves of a tree sacred to Cambodia. Each fallen leaf symbolizes a disaster or conflict that has occurred in the past, is occurring now, or will occur in the future. And each stick symbolizes a soul — people who die in such conflicts.

The series touches on both a global level and an extremely personal one. It is based on the ideas of Khmer Buddhism combined with the ideas of Manchu Buddhism. In the culture and religion of Cambodia and Imperial China, people placed a lot of emphasis on communicating with the spirits of the departed. They helped people better understand life and honor the memory and preserve the knowledge of their ancestors. The incense was collected on the most important holiday for Cambodia — Pchum Ben when the spirits of the departed return to Earth.

This series is a documentation of the seeing off of the spirits of the dead — Home, their return to the source and a prayer for their reincarnation in a new, peaceful life. It is also a documentation of various conflicts and a prayer for peace.

The title “Tears of My Mother” is taken from the author’s personal life. At the same time, it is a metaphor where the mother is our home, planet Earth.