Photographer Sean Lee Creates Incredibly Intimate Portraits of His Parents

For Two People, Singapore-based photographer Sean Lee creates intimate portraits of his mother and father, closely examining their bodies as well as the psychic threads that forever bind members of the immediate family.

Lee embarked on this photographic journey with his parents five years ago, and he sees no end in sight. In some ways, he says, the camera has become integrated into the fabric of their domestic lives, inspiring moments of communion and endearment that might not otherwise manifest. He comes from a family in which physical affection is generally avoided, and only times he has borne witness to his parents touching is through his viewfinder. Some of these scenes have been carefully directed, while others have unfolded spontaneously.

Just as his relationship with his parents influences the photographs he makes, the photographs have further colored his bond with the pair. His intent focus on their interactions has led him to confront the realities of their bodies–and to face the inevitability of their mortality. While making some of these images, he admits that he’s been seized by the fear of their eventual death.

In their physical beings, he traces his own origins, discovering in their blemishes and marks deeply rooted aspects of his own self. Here, the boundaries between husband and wife, parent and child, soften and re-solidify, tracing a non-linear narrative of creation, loss, and familiarity. “I just want to to go on and make an ocean of images,” Lee tells us.

All images © Sean Lee

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