Hands are fascinating to me. They tell so much about a person – the life they live, what they do, how they feel. Hands can do so many things and interact in so many ways. We use our hands to communicate, to touch, to help, to hurt. Hands are important for perceiving emotion in others and for helping us to animate our spoken stories.
I chose to undertake a series of hand photos to share the stories these hands can tell. With the simplicity of the hands against a dark background my mind is freed from some of the pre-conceptions I would have from seeing the face or the entire person. I can question and imagine my own stories.
The hand is the most frequently symbolized part of the human body. Hand gestures vary as symbols, with hand emojis being a part of today’s world. Hands can touch, move, be gentle, hurt and be hurt. We employ our hands to indicate feelings of love, joy, fear and sorrow.
All of the hands in these photos are of people who are important in my life, with their hands being used to symbolize parts of my story and theirs.
