Papa?

Growing up in a household with my mother as a single parent is a sight I recall witnessing since I was a toddler. I came across this picture of my father and I from around 2002 and began reflecting on how I’ve lived my day to day life without his presence. My childhood years were lively but there came moments where I became curious about my father. When you desire a possession or answer as a child, one that your parents simply cannot provide, you get vague answers which leads to a lingering feeling of desire. To this day, I have so little knowledge of him that I simply cannot understand what might have led him to distance himself from his daughter. I often wonder exactly how I feel towards that fact today and while some of those answers are still unclear, I wished to utilize this series to visualize emotions I have experienced from my childhood to my adult years all while emphasizing that absence.

Papa? is a project I put together to represent how I transitioned from an envious child who occasionally searched and desired a fatherly love to a young adult capable of moving forward despite such circumstances.