In 2011, while I was shooting the twin series, I noticed two children from different families who looked very similar. I was very surprised at the time, as the two families were separated by dozens of miles. After further questioning, I discovered that both children had Down syndrome. Due to their unique facial features, they are commonly known as "international faces" or "international people" in some areas. Out of curiosity, I researched extensively on the subject. What intrigued me the most was that the Italian painter Andrea Mantegna (1431~1506) portrayed Jesus in the image of the Virgin and Child as a child with Down syndrome, whereas Martin Luther (1483-1546) publicly called for the killing of people with intellectual disabilities. It is evident that even though they shared the same religion, there were two very different attitudes towards people with disabilities. Some people speculate that Down's syndrome was not considered a disease at that time. After all, the existence of Down syndrome was first published by John Langdon Down in 1866 in "Observations on an Ethnic Classification of Idiots". This shows that the classification criteria and categories of disabilities are variable, and the division between normal and disabled people is a conscious social behavior. In a certain period, people regarded as being disabled by society may be considered normal human beings in another space-time situation.
Everyone has a different body, and it is this difference that makes us unique human beings. However, the physical appearance of people with disabilities often becomes the focus of public attention, leading to their being despised, ridiculed, and even regarded as evil. When people are used to looking at disabled people with different eyes, the parents of children with disabilities face immense pressure. Thus, I wanted to respond to the portrait of the Virgin and Child by Andrea Mantegna by taking photographs of mothers with children born with disabilities.

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