Ojos (Mami y yo), from the archive, Washington, DC , 2015
20 x 30 in (h x w)
archival pigment print

From the series si je meurs/if I die.

An extended portrait, si je meurs / if I die continues to explore a subjective, diasporic space that balances absence and presence. I pay homage to the relationship with my mother, Janine Janowski, construct my own sense of identity, and allude to the legacy that she left behind.

The photos evolved naturally as we confronted the most human of destinies:
--As if I could ever get used to it
--As if the picture would somehow wish it away…

With these photographs, I share my intimate perspective to the historically-significant, public narrative of Janine’s life as a cultural promoter and founder of the renowned galería el laberinto in El Salvador during the civil war and its aftermath, now reactivated through laberinto projects, my socially engaged, arts, education and cultural legacy platform, also inspired by her.

More from Muriel Hasbun

Blue (Martorell), 2012.11.08, El Congo , 2015
20 x 30 in (h x w)
archival pigment print
Muriel Hasbun
In Memoriam, 2014.06.12, El Congo , 2015
30 x 20 in (h x w)
archival pigment print
Muriel Hasbun
Super 8mm film, 2014.09.20, from the archive, c. 1960’s, Washington, DC. , 2015
26.6 x 40 in (h x w)
archival pigment print
Muriel Hasbun
Family Frames, 2016.07.06, from the archive, c.1960’s, El Congo , 2016
26.6 x 40 in (h x w)
archival pigment print
Muriel Hasbun
Trace, 2015.02.25, Washington, DC , 2015
20 x 30 in (h x w)
archival pigment print
Muriel Hasbun