Bubble Language School

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up

Annie Wang is a photographer from Taipei City, Taiwan. Wang creates art based on self-representation and rejects the stereotypical image of a single mother and child.

Wang believes that motherhood is a complex journey and does not have to be solely about sacrifice and selflessness. Wang created the series ‘The Mother as a Creator’ where she and her son are portrayed in various layers as he grows up. Wang takes a family photo each year and then takes another image of them in front of the previous picture.

Different layers of her and her son emerge on the same surface after a lengthy accumulation of detail and texture. The different stages of mother and child are overlaid to create a dialogue with each other in this dimension upon compressed dimension.

The series aims to create a new depiction of motherhood.

2001 – “The day before I was due to give birth”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2002 – “Pressing the camera shutter together”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2003 – “My son’s leg was in plaster”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2004 – “Celebrating Christmas”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2005 – “Setting up the exhibition”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2006 – “Working hard”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2010 – “Moving and uncertain”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2011 – “Making dreams”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2014 – “At the same height”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

2018 – “Arguing for freedom”

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang


Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang

Mom Spends 17 Years Documenting Her Son Growing Up, And The Result Is Truly Powerful (10 Pics)

Image credits: Annie Wang