KATHLEEN SANKER

These Sacred Days

St. Louis, Missouri • kathleenmsanker.com

  • I've always been attuned to the passage of time, the fragility of memory, and the experiences that shape us as individuals. Through photography, I attempt to recapture these lost moments and rediscover truths, seeking authenticity and capturing the little truths that reveal and connect us as humans.

    My work explores the complexities of human relationships, particularly between young children and their world. Balancing family life and an academic career, I've found that the energies required by young children often overwhelm my creative forces. However, this challenge has driven me to reconcile art and motherhood, leading to my current exploration of the domestic experience.

    The work included here is a cross-section of my interests, focusing on the development of young children's relationships with themselves and the world around them. I find myself re-calibrating my studio practice to accommodate the lives of my children, who have become an integral part of my artistic journey. This has led me to realize that motherhood is an innately feminist act – the exercising of our most creative choices.

    As I navigate the challenges of motherhood, I've discovered a renewed sense of creativity and space to incorporate art-making into my daily existence and my children's lives. This has become a nurturing hand projecting itself into our futures, allowing me to freeze-dry moments and capture the deep inner lives of my children and those around me.

    Through my work, I aim to preserve the fleeting moments of childhood and the complex construction of self. I believe that photographs can serve as an instrument of memory, allowing us to reflect on the past and shape our understanding of the world around us.

    In the end, I see my art as a way to navigate the intersections of time, memory, and experience. By capturing the little truths and complexities of human relationships, I hope to create a sense of connection and understanding between us. As I continue to explore the intricacies of motherhood and the domestic experience, I remain committed to using photography as a tool of empathy and understanding, narrative and documentation, preserving the impact of the everyday on who we are on our way to becoming.

  • Digital Photographs, 16 x 20”. Ultrachromogenic prints, print sizes can vary for exhibition.