3 – We were the A, the B and the C

Photography book 3 is a personal study of triplet sisterhood, where I examine individuality and my own identity in relation to my sibling counterparts.

It is difficult to explain triplet sisterhood. The finest aspect is the phenomena of feeling, periodically, understood without words. For me, my sisters’ worries are my worries, and their joys reside in me as well.

As children, we sisters were always stuck together: we shared the same school, schedules, hobbies, and friends. From time to time we felt frustrated when objectified and exoticsised by the gaze of “outsiders” who marvelled at us. I sensed that most people outside my household did not regard us sisters as individuals, whereas within my family we were of course treated as distinct members among the rest.

In the book the theme of being an observer and observed intertwines with the experience of selfhood. The body of work is simultaneously intimate and distant. Many of the images in the book addresses selfhood with self-portraits as well as with references to nature. The book also contemplates thematics of invisibility— the core question being:

If alone, am I invisible?

B – “Who am I without my sisters?”

Continuing where the first part of the book left off, also this photo series in the book explores identity and selfhood. In this part, I study also loneliness and togetherness, and move on to examine these themes through my personal experiences. The perspective shifts from my sisters, but also from other people.

By interrogating personal recollections—nostalgia, childhood, adulthood, and the present—the book reflects on the importance of family connections and lifelong relationships.

*Pre-order* the book by email milla.talassalo(at)gmail.com
Publishing time: Mid-December, 2022
Price: 38 € + postage

Publisher: Raw View Editions
Design and layout: Shani Armon
Editing and book concept: Hannamari Shakya
Lithography: Sebastiaan Hanekroot, Colour & Books
Printing and binding: Wilco Art Books, Netherlands