Unspoken stories, hidden pasts, untouched memories. Every family has them. There are some stories rarely shared because the emotion behind them has been repressed for so long. Secrecy can be suffocating, and with it, comes a veil of separation within the family. Many know the feeling of being an outsider within their own home, a place where you should feel transparent and welcome. Living in a space of constant uncertainty creates an undefinable distance; one that isn’t physical. Although the history of family secrets is one mostly of fear, shame, and repression, it is also one of trust, tenderness, and tolerance.
A secret can be enabling and suffocating, protective and oppressive all at once. Instead of shunning family secrets, within this work we use them as a lens through which to take a closer look at the idea of family and its complex relationships. Through viewing these intimate parts of a family, we are able to feel closer and
connected again.