Malin Westermann (b.1996) is a photographer living in Oslo, Norway.
Intrigued by the quiet magnificence, fragility and fleeting nature of everyday life - and even moreso since the birth of her first child - Malin approaches her practice with a deep sensitivity for all stages of life, but puts her attention to motherhood.
She is deeply interested in the way familial landscapes, particularly the mother role, look and change over time, along with the shifting cultural representations.
She recently spoke about motherhood during PhotoVogue festival in Milan, and her work was selected to be a part of “Success Stories Coming Into 2023” by Visura and it was shortlisted for Portrait Of Humanity by British Journal of Photography 2023. She’s been published extensively worldwide and nationally, with features in Wall Street Journal, Elle Italy, CNN, PhotoVogue, ZEIT and more.
Let’s start with some backstory. What led you to photography?
I’ve always been drawn to photography, and my biggest inspiration was my grandmother. Every time I went to her place we would spend so much time with her albums, and she would tell me so many different stories. I remember that from a really early age, I could feel how important photography was. It was a tool for us as a family to keep people alive somehow, through the images and the stories.
When I became pregnant, I used photography as a tool to understand how much it would affect me. I was unintentionally pregnant at the age of 25, and I had no clue what I was about to enter. I wanted to understand what motherhood would be like, so I contacted a lot of mothers to photograph them. Then I realized that mothers have maybe never really been seen by society, and I wanted to capture how much it actually takes to be one. Therefore, I choose to focus my photography on pregnancy and motherhood, so more mothers can hopefully feel seen and feel the power that is within them.
Would you share with us a bit about your transition into motherhood? What was the postpartum period like for you?
My transition into motherhood was difficult. As mentioned, I became pregnant unplanned at the age of 25, and at that time I didn’t even think about what life as a mother would be like. It got especially tough when my son, Gabriel, almost died during his birth, and therefore I had a rough entry into motherhood. So my postpartum period was something I felt really alone in. I started my photo project, Matrescence, so I could meet other mothers and maybe get a deeper understanding of all of the aspects of motherhood.
We love the way you capture motherhood through your lens. What are you hoping viewers take away from their experiences with your Matrescence photos?
Thank you! I hope that they feel seen and powerful, because that is exactly what mothers are. The countless hours of caretaking and the amount of work that it takes to be there for your child(ren), is so often taken for granted. Even though it is the foundation for all humanity. So I also hope that the viewers get a reminder of that, even if they are not parents themselves.
What are you feeling inspired by lately?
Lately I’ve been inspired by nature. I’ve been surrounded by big mountains and a lot of snow, and it has given me a sense of calm that I’ve been longing for. It fueled my inspiration and, it was especially good to feel that entering a new year.
What’s a song you have on repeat at the moment?
Rodeo No. 5 by Konradsen.
If you could share any morsel of advice or wisdom with an expecting mother, what would it be?
My advice would be to lower your expectations of yourself as a new mother. The most important part is to get to know yourself first and foremost again, because it is such a massive life-changing event, and having a baby often feels like having your heart outside of your own body. Therefore, I would advise new mothers to let it all sink in, and if possible - take some space for yourself to just be. That baby loves you unconditionally, and therefore you should be able to love yourself the same way. It will benefit both of you at the end of the day.
