‘I Have Only 11 Other Photos of Her—All Mugshots’

My mom has been incarcerated for 19 years. She has a strong presence in my life, even if it isn’t a physical one—I talk with her every day. In 2018, we had the opportunity to have a Christmas photo taken during one of our contact visits. That was my catalyst for thinking about photography and incarceration. Other than that picture, I have only 11 other photos of her—all mugshots. I recently printed all of those onto handmade paper I made from letters she wrote. I want to tell the truth about her, to understand she committed a very serious crime, but that she’s also deserving of love and respect.

I feel like I had a very normal upbringing. My brother and I were raised upper-middle class by my dad, which is unusual for children of incarcerated parents. Statistics show they’re more likely to live below the poverty line, end up in these systems themselves, and are less likely to finish their education. Getting the chance to pursue higher education gives me tools to amplify voices that haven’t had the same opportunities.

I came to Tufts originally planning to photograph other families like mine, and that’s still a goal. But I discovered TUPIT (the Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College). It’s rare, because not a lot of facilities allow for education. My mom earned her associate’s degree while she was in, so I saw how important it was for her to be working towards her future.

This semester, I’m serving as a teaching assistant (TA) for a drawing class at the Concord correctional facility. A lot of incarcerated people are very creative but don’t have the outlet to express that. Initially I wasn’t thrilled with the power imbalance, but in talking to other former TAs, they’ve told me that we learn from them just as much as they learn from us. The program builds a lot of empathy.

I want to make sure I always ask myself as a photographer: “What am I actually providing to others? How much is for my own gain?” It’s important to listen to people’s stories so I can be a better storyteller.

Niko Krivanek, AG24 (MFA), is a Future Leaders Fellow studying photography.

Our Tufts is a series of personal stories shared by members of the Tufts community and featured on both Tufts Now and Instagram.