EHA is a series of portraits of my mother, portrayed in a series of unusual situations, poses, and attire. Eha was born in Estonia in 1950. Widowed, suffering from epilepsy, and lacking great command of English, Eha stayed tightly involved in our lives. In 2015 Eha began to suffer from depression. Life became bleaker. Something had to be done. I came up with a plan to give her something new to focus on, beyond her new procession of doctor’s appointments and medications. The ‘EHA’ project was born.

‘Eha revealed herself to be a natural model, happy to play along with my increasingly imaginative visual fantasies. The ‘EHA’ project has had an effect on both of us. It is encouraging to see that the results for us are also having a resonance for others.

– Sirli Raitma is a London-based photographer. She was born and grew up in Estonia. Sirli’s images span portraiture, landscapes, and interiors, but portraiture – especially involving ambiguity via costume or displacement – is her heartland. Discover more of her work here

– Sirli was awarded 2nd prize in The Independent Photographer’s 2021 Emerging Talent Contest.