Tae Jung and Ha Ru

The traditional Korean “Baek-il” event is a centuries-old tradition considered a norm in many Korean households. This signifies a major milestone within the Korean culture of a child’s 100th day after birth because of the high infant mortality during the 18th Century until the Korean War in the 1950s. The photograph shows a double portraiture of my younger sister celebrating this milestone with her daughter dressed in the Hanbok during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an attempt to reflect on the vulnerability of life and the strength of motherhood during these unprecedented times while working to understand my own relationship with my younger sister, Tae Jung. We have been inseparable since our childhood. Now, to see Tae-Jung as a Mother, as a caretaker, as a primary nurturer, and as a symbol of feminine maturity is breathtaking to capture in this portraiture, . I focus on capturing motherhood and child infancy while celebrating a centuries-old tradition of a child’s 100th day - a special day - “Baek-il”- on earth amidst this pandemic. Likewise, it is wishing a child good health and longevity while placing a mother and her baby in a contemporary setting.