Marlen Kärema
B. 1978, Estonia
‘Intimka. Intimate moments’ is a sensitive insight into family togetherness, where the bond between mother, father, and child is both visible and palpable. As a delicate observer of the intimate, the photographer has captured genuine and tender moments that usually remain hidden within the walls of the home. The entwined naked bodies are vulnerable yet liberating, creating a connection without barriers, showing trusting togetherness, and redefining roles. The couple has become a family. The woman is now a mother. The man is the father. This magical time is fleeting, as the whole family functions in the rhythm of the pure energy that comes with the arrival of a new soul. Children grow up, new roles become familiar, and everyday life takes over. However, that's another story.
Marlen Kärema works as a freelance photographer. She has studied at the Tartu Art School and the Estonian Academy of Arts. Marlen Kärema notices and appreciates the everyday activities of a family and the charm of ordinary life. It is these moments that nourish memories and will emerge years later as mental images.
The photo artist, who lives with her family on a farm in Tartu County, considers it very important in her work to reflect the relationship patterns between human and nature, which sometimes become complicated.
Marlen Kärema’s visual language is recognizable; it combines the courage to capture the moment, respect and love for everyday life, an intuitive sense of the subject, and monochrome contrasts that amplify the keen eye of a documentarian.
"Intimka.Intiimejä hetkiä", 2022