carrie mae weems: kitchen table series

this publication is dedicated solely to the early and canonical body of work by american artist carrie mae weems (born 1953). the 20 photographs and 14 text panels that make up kitchen table series tell the story of one woman’s life, unfolding within the intimate setting of her kitchen. the kitchen, one of the primary spaces of domesticity and a traditional domain of women, becomes the backdrop for exploring relationships—with lovers, children, friends—and the evolving sense of self through moments of strength, vulnerability, distance, tenderness, and solitude. as weems describes it, this work explores “the battle around the family ... monogamy ... and between the sexes.” weems herself serves as the protagonist of the series, while the woman she portrays also represents a broader archetype. kitchen table series seeks to reposition and reimagine possibilities for women and people of color, exploring themes of identity, relationships, and, in the artist’s words, “unrequited love.”