# Poignant Motherhood Photography Patrick Willocq's Photos Capture a Ritual for Nursing Mothers By Rahul Kalvapalle | Published 2014-05-08 | World Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/willocq References: [africandigitalart](http://www.africandigitalart.com/2014/01/i-am-wale-respect-me/) & [patrickwillocq](http://patrickwillocq.com/congo/i-am-walé-respect-me-2) 'I am Wale Respect Me' is a photo series captured by Patrick Willocq, which centers around an important ritual observed by the Ekonda pygmies of the [Democratic Republic of Congo](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-daily-edit-app). 'Wale' is the Ekonda word for a woman who is nursing for the first time, and the Ekonda believe this is the most important phase of a woman's life. When a Wale is nursing, she goes to live with her parents and remains secluded for a few years. During her seclusion, she lives under specific conditions and has to respect a taboo on sex. The end of the woman's seclusion is marked by a dancing and singing ritual. Each song and dance contains elements unique to each Wale, who sings a song about her loneliness during seclusion and in praise of her discipline. The ritual is intended to be an emotional and symbolic [tribute to motherhood, fertility and femininity](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/apples-mothers-day). Willocq convinced five Wales, who he knew for over a year, to participate in the photo series. Each image is a visual representation of the song that each Wale sings. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.6/10 - Popularity: 3% | Activity: 8% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 10% men, 90% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [World](https://www.trendhunter.com/world) > [Regional](https://www.trendhunter.com/regional) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Nursing Ritual Photography:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the use of innovative technologies like virtual reality to create immersive experiences that capture the essence of cultural rituals. - **Motherhood Celebration:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop digital platforms or apps that connect nursing mothers from different cultures, allowing them to share their experiences and celebrate motherhood together. - **Emotional Tribute Photography:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze emotions expressed in photos, creating personalized and emotionally resonant photo collections. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Photography:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Innovate camera designs or accessories specifically catered towards capturing intimate cultural rituals and celebrations. - **Social Networking:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a social networking platform that connects individuals with shared cultural practices, fostering an online community centered around celebrating diverse customs. - **Artificial Intelligence:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build AI-powered platforms capable of understanding and interpreting complex emotions depicted in visual art forms, enriching the viewer's experience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Stigma-Breaking Motherhood Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/molly-baz1.md) - [Cross-Cultural Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mother-goddess-of-the-three-realms.md) - [Empowering Postpartum Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/onerealpressure.md) - [Breastfeeding Kit Collabs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/willow-x-caraa.md) - [Pregnancy-Safe Beauty Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/well-people-pregnancy-safe.md) - [AI Maternity Photoshoot Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/maternity-photoshoot.md) - [Human Nature-Themed Art Galleries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sea-im-awake.md) - [Maternity-Inspired Lighting Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/noah-lighting.md) - [Airline Employee Nursing Kits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nursing-cover.md)