Between Us – Exploring intimacy and belonging through family photography and the artist book
Between Us is an artist book exploring intimacy, belonging, and family relationships through close-up black and white photography, text, and tactile interaction. Through photographing people I feel safe with, the project focuses on small everyday details such as hands, eyes, and gestures that carry emotional meaning through familiarity and memory. The book invites the viewer to slow down, look closely, and reflect on their own experiences of closeness and connection.
Rather than documenting family moments, the project explores how photography can interpret relationships through detail, sequencing, and material interaction. The work developed through conversations, shared time, observation, photographing, writing, and reflection. The slow process of working with my family allowed the images to emerge naturally through interaction and presence.
“The room got louder, but my eyes stayed on her hands. Seeing her with them felt like a glitch in time. I could almost feel myself back in their place, tucked under that same protection.”
The artist book format was central to the project. Through black and white photography, generous white space, minimal typography, and lay-flat binding, the book creates a slower and more intimate reading experience. The physical interaction with the book becomes part of the meaning, encouraging careful looking and emotional reflection.
Material and tactile decisions played an important role in shaping the final outcome. The black cover creates a strong contrast with the photographs, while the embossed title encourages slower observation through light and shadow. A thin red thread wraps around the book, symbolizing connection, continuity, and the slow process of building closeness over time.
Through this project, I discovered how photography can move beyond documentation and become a way of experiencing and interpreting relationships. By combining images, text, sequencing, and tactile interaction, Between Us explores how intimacy and belonging are built gradually through shared moments, familiarity, and presence.
