Capturing authentic, storytelling-driven imagery in photography
Kylie Zieminski's photography exhibit, "Unseen Motherhood," on view April 26 - May 1
By Sarah Shoaf, Staff Writer
With her upcoming showcase at Governors State University (GovState), Photography student Kylie Zieminski explores the unspoken, and sometimes hard, realities of first-time motherhood through photos.
“While motherhood is often portrayed as a time of pure joy, this body of work focuses on the more complex, and often overlooked, emotional and physical experiences that come with it,” said Kylie (pictured left) about her thesis project for her final semester at GovState.
Her inspiration for the exhibit comes from watching her best friend and sister become mothers for the first time. “Through their experiences, I gained a deeper understanding of the everyday challenges of motherhood that often go unspoken. With this work, I wanted to capture both the beauty and the difficulties that can come with motherhood.”
The exhibition, on view from April 26 – May 1 in GovState’s Visual Arts Gallery, will feature a series of black and white portraits and documentary-style images intended to challenge the idealized narrative of motherhood. A reception will be held on April 26 from 2 – 4 p.m.
For Kylie, photography has been an interest of hers since she was a child, though she became even more invested when she received her first DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera in 2019. This motivated her to pursue a minor in photography during her undergraduate studies.
With encouragement from a previous professor, Kylie came to GovState to pursue her Master of Fine Arts where she found a space full of opportunities to collaborate with other creative people and to grow as an artist.
“I’m passionate about capturing meaningful moments and creating images that people can hold onto as lasting memories,” added Kylie. She lives out this passion with her photography business, One Ninety Co., which she’s run for over five years capturing “authentic, storytelling-driven imagery.”
Kylie is also the Producer of This Week at GovState (TWAG), a University news production on campus news, updates, and interviews with GovState community leaders.