As part of my photography coursework at the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication, this essay was created at my classmate Jasleen’s home. Navigating Home explores the delicate balance between her desire to live on her own terms as a 20-year-old and her family’s love and care which often comes wrapped in restrictions.
The images trace the quiet negotiations of her everyday life: tending to household responsibilities, challenging patriarchal expectations while shielding her mother from conflict, stealing moments of freedom on the rooftop, reading or photographing clouds, painting, finding solace in baking, and and enjoying time with her little niece. Through these fragments, the essay uncovers the small yet powerful spaces she has carved out to breathe, dream, and simply be.
