End of the Line (Burning Lilies)

Anne Nobels

2020- 2024 — Netherlands

About this series

This Work is about my conscious decision not to have children.. This choice caused a stir in my and my partner’s circle of friends and family. We have made our decision, but opinions and counterarguments remain sensitive.  Who will take care of us later? And isn’t it our moral obligation as human beings to procreate?
Throughout the series, I depict arguments between us and our loved ones. ‘Your body was made to make and raise babies, why would you want to miss out on that experience?’ It’s true, I do feel like I’m less of a woman. My body is at it’s peak fertility wise, and I find the ability of a woman’s body to create, deliver, and feed a child is truly magical. But I’ve accepted it, my brain tells me that being a parent is not for me. I love being the weird, creative ‘aunt’ to our friends’ kids.
The most common question we got was ‘Who will take care of you when you’re old?’ and the similar ‘Won’t you be lonely?’. We thought of this of course, and it’s scary not knowing the answers. We’ve had many discussions in fact, but having kids doesn’t mean they will be there to take care of you when you’re old and grey. Form our perspective it felt a little selfish to put a new life in this world, just to have someone to be there for us.
By making myself vulnerable and taking my own experiences as a starting point, I open up the discussion about the taboo of consciously remaining childless.

Photographer: Anne Nobels
Nationality: Dutch
Based in: Netherlands
Website: annenobels.nl
Instagram: @nobelsphotos