The Maternal Family Structure
36 x 26” Original Woodburning with color pencil on Birch Panel
©2017 Djibril N’Doye
A family is a structure, but it’s not always easy to be well-structured. It is ongoing nurturing. When the mother is not around, the next oldest is in charge – either a boy or a girl. While the mother here is wrapping her arms around everyone, she is sharing the same head with the oldest who happens to be a girl. Even with a welcoming boundary, a boundary which needs to be respected, one always needs to wait for the arms . . . the boundary . . . to open even if it takes time. That why it’s called a family.
- Collections: Family and Social Responsibiilty, Mother and Child, Women in Rural Life