Carrie Usmar
Carrie Usmar is an artist, writer, and stay at home mother living in rural Rhode Island with her husband and four children. Living in day-to-day isolation and raising kids in a never enough culture has made her value the beauty of being real and the art of slowing down. Her narrative work is devoted to exposing shame, being vulnerable, and building connection. She uses a documentary practice to address the stigmas of domestic motherhood and depression.
Usmar received a BFA from the University of Rhode Island with a focus in photography and filmmaking. She has exhibited in group exhibitions at Rhode Island Center For Photographic Arts, Newport Art Museum, Hera Gallery, and The Curated Fridge as well as online exhibitions on The Luupe, L.A. Photo Curator, and Lenscratch. She also received best series in the Women Seen By Women category of the 18th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards and best series in the Culture and Daily Life category in the 18th Pollux Awards. She is also a top 200 finalist for 2022 Critical Mass.
Artist Statement
My artistic work stems from my main role of being a stay-at-home mother to 4 kids. Living in day-to-day isolation and raising kids in a never enough culture causes me to value reality and the monotony of my daily experience. The self-portraits I capture with my children depict an honest view of motherhood in contrast to the highlight reels of social media. I use a mirrorless Digital SLR, tripod, and an intervalometer remote to capture candid moments of my family that address the stigmas of domestic motherhood. Discovering the humor of my experience helps me wade through the waves of chronic depression. I am greatly influenced by artists such as Jessica Todd Harper, Andi Galdi, and Heather Evans Smith and the way they use light and color in their images to memorialize the mundane. I hope that my images reframe the way people view their lives and highlight the invisible aspects of motherhood and depression.
Instagram: @carrieusmar