At the age of four, my mother left by jumping onto a stranger’s motorcycle. Since then, it has been difficult to call her “mom,” and I instead referred to her by her name—Li Aijun.

We rarely met. The last time I saw her, she was in the late stages of cancer.

A few years after her death, I began this work. It ultimately uses the life of my birth mother as a thread, composed of old photos, newly taken photos, and texts.

Although it’s called “mama,” it’s not just about me and her, but also about Li Aijun—a woman with no education or background, repeatedly cast aside by the times. She experienced the one-child policy, the entrepreneurship and business boom, and the trend of moving south for work. She had been reckless and impoverished. At 47, she died of cancer. She was a “consumable” of her era, yet she lived a vivid and passionate life.

Everyone has their own mother, with generally similar mother-daughter relationships—always about devotion and greatness. Through this work, I want to provide a unique example—of a woman who lives solely for herself, breaking free from traditional shackles and societal expectations, and what kind of life she experiences. I can’t judge her life, but as a woman, I ultimately understand her choices.

Self-published
Xi’an, China, 2023
Edition of 1
21 x 26 cm
144 pages
Designer: BingYing Liu