TITLE: Inherited Silence

"'Inherited Silence' examines the generational transmission of emotional communication patterns between fathers and sons. This image confronts us with an uncomfortable question: what are we teaching our children about confronting their inner worlds?
The visual symbolism is deliberate and layered. The father's finger to his lips represents society's persistent message to men: keep your emotions quiet, your struggles private. Simultaneously, his hand partially covers his son's vision—a poignant metaphor for how we limit our children's perception by filtering their emotional education through our own unresolved issues and learned behaviors.
The matching hooded garments suggest both protection and anonymity, while also symbolizing the inheritance of identity and coping strategies. The deep shadows enveloping both figures represent the unspoken emotional territories that often remain unexplored between fathers and sons—spaces where connection could flourish but instead remain dark and inaccessible.
Only one eye of each subject is fully visible, creating a visual connection between generations while also suggesting partial awareness—we see, but not completely. This limited visibility reflects how we often navigate emotional development with incomplete understanding, perpetuating cycles of emotional restriction.
The stark black and white treatment intensifies the raw emotional quality while stripping away distractions, forcing viewers to confront the essential relationship dynamics at play. The intimate composition creates an almost uncomfortable closeness, inviting viewers to witness this private moment of intergenerational instruction.
This work emerged from examining how we prepare children for an uncertain future. In teaching silence and emotional concealment, we may believe we're protecting them from vulnerability, yet we might instead be limiting their capacity for authentic connection and resilience. The image asks us to consider: what emotional legacies are we passing down, and are they serving the next generation in a world that increasingly demands emotional intelligence and openness?"

AUTHOR: Marta Losiewicz (Poland)

Hi, My name is Marta and I'm a passionate, fine art photographer.
Photography has been with me for my whole life. Together with music and painting it allowed me to express myself.