Artist Naima Green Explores Parenthood and Community in New Photography Exhibition
New York, NY – Artist Naima Green is challenging conventional notions of family and motherhood with her new exhibition, “Instead, I spin fantasies,” now on view at the International Center of Photography.
The exhibition, curated by Elisabeth Sherman, features a mix of self-portraits and portraits of friends and loved ones, exploring the complexities of pregnancy and parenthood. Green, who married artist Sable Elyse Smith three years ago, began the project after grappling with her own ambivalence about having children and a doctor’s suggestion that she had delayed starting a family. She initially purchased a silicone baby bump, but the project evolved into a broader investigation of societal expectations and alternative models for raising children. This exploration comes as more and more individuals and couples are re-evaluating traditional family structures.
Green’s work delves into the pressures faced by expectant parents, particularly in urban environments where support systems can be limited. “I was talking to a new friend who has a toddler, and she was talking about how, even as a queer person, that the community aspect is not as fluid as she would have imagined it to be,” Green explained. She hopes to highlight the need for a more communal approach to raising children, contrasting it with the often isolating experience many parents face in the United States. The exhibition also touches on the commercialization of motherhood, with images depicting the blurring lines between intimate family moments and personal branding – a growing trend documented by organizations like Pew Research Center.
Green is currently collaborating with a close friend who is planning to become pregnant, offering to provide support during the early stages of parenthood. “I’m definitely interested in a vision that invites more trusted people into the life of the child,” she said. The artist intends for the series to remain an ongoing project, continuing to explore evolving definitions of family and community. You can find more information about the International Center of Photography and its exhibits here.
Green plans to continue developing the work as conversations with friends and collaborators expand her understanding of the possibilities for community-based child-rearing.
