Birth day

For two years, Belgian top photographer and journalist Lieve Blancquaert travelled the world capturing those special first moments of life for her project ‘Birth Day’. The way in which a child is born reflects the culture it is being born into. The context in which it breathes its first breath is decisive for its future.

For this project, Lieve Blancquaert visited different countries and cultures. Besides the place of birth, she also captured recurring themes such as maternity wards, family and rituals. The locations she visited include Shanghai in China, Tiberias in Israel, the Sundarbans in India, Atlanta in the US, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Kuwait City in Kuwait, Nairobi in Kenya, Sisimiut in Greenland and Brussels in Belgium.

'Birth Day' is the first completed project in Lieve Blancquaert’s cycle about important moments in human life: birth (‘Birth Day’), marriage (‘Wedding day’) and death (‘Last days’).