i am (not) your mother

i am (not) your mother is a confrontation of the trauma the author experienced during their teenage years and how it continues to shape their relationship with their mother. It is an attempt to process the complex feelings they have towards her—an unsteady mix of hurt, resentment, admiration, and love. The work interweaves documentary photography, archival family images, journal entries, and transcribed conversations with the author’s mother.

i am (not) your mother is Hady Barry’s first photobook and has been shortlisted for the 24 Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards. Barry is a Guinean-American artist working with photography, sound, and text. Her introspective practice explores the echoes of the past, human connections, and the construction of identity.