Artist Naima Green is challenging conventional notions of motherhood and pregnancy through her compelling photographic series, currently featured in a solo exhibition titled "Instead, I spin fantasies" at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City. The exhibition presents a unique blend of real and semi-fictional portraits that examine the complex expectations and realities surrounding motherhood in contemporary society.
Green's innovative approach to the subject includes photographs featuring herself wearing a prosthetic pregnant belly, as well as images of other individuals from her life and community. This artistic choice allows her to explore pregnancy and motherhood from multiple perspectives, creating a nuanced dialogue about family formation and maternal identity. The exhibition showcases works spanning from 2016 to 2025, demonstrating the artist's sustained engagement with these themes.
"I'm trying to explore a very expansive picture across different geographies, different classes, different ideas of family, just as a way of seeing, understanding or creating different possibilities for family-making," Green explained in a recent interview. Her statement reflects the exhibition's ambitious scope in addressing diverse experiences of motherhood across various social and economic backgrounds.
The photographic series includes evocatively titled works such as "If I didn't let my mind run too far ahead, I felt completely happy" (2024), "Like and subscribe" (2024), and "It's funny how people don't give that much thought to what kids want, as long as they're being quiet" (2024). These titles suggest a contemplative and sometimes critical examination of contemporary attitudes toward children and parenting.
Other notable pieces in the exhibition include "Meet me at The London" (2022), "Gently, g e n t l e... Squeezing" (2024), "Dream Feed" (2024), and "the other is an outpouring of everything good in you" (2023). The varied dating of these works demonstrates Green's ongoing exploration of these themes over several years, with some pieces dating back to her earlier series "Unconscious Frame" from 2016-2017.
The exhibition also features more intimate documentary-style photographs, such as "Molly, 19 days before Zadie" (2023), which captures the anticipation of impending motherhood, and "Half on a baby (DonChristian)" (2025), suggesting the artist's continued work in this vein. These images blend personal narrative with broader social commentary, creating a comprehensive exploration of pregnancy, parenthood, and family structures.
Through "Instead, I spin fantasies," Green presents visitors with an opportunity to reconsider preconceived notions about motherhood while celebrating the diverse ways families can be formed and understood in modern society. The exhibition continues to draw attention to important conversations about reproductive choice, family planning, and the societal pressures surrounding motherhood.
