'Manu' is an ongoing project documenting the life of my grandfather Urpo Emanuel Kulmala after he suffered an aneurism in 2014. The right side of his body paralysed due to the episode. After weeks of physical therapy he regained mobility in his arm and face, but never in his right leg.
Our grandfather has always been an important presence in my life. After I left Finland to live abroad I felt the weight of not being able to visit as often heavy on my conscious. During visits I began photographing the new reality my grandparents were both dealing with, as my grandmother now looked after her previously outdoorsman husband.
Their days follow a routine of meals and nurse visits, in between which they are usually reading, watching television, napping or wandering around the house. Summers are easier, as my grandfather tends to go out as soon as it's warm enough and all the snow is gone.
"Manu", as the family often calls our grandfather, is one of the surviving war veterans in Finland. After the war he settled down in his family home and eventually married our grandmother Hilkka. Manu, now 96-years old and Hilkka, 88, continue to live in their own home. All three of their children frequently help with household tasks and looking after Manu.
This project has given me a chance to find the small moments of beauty and the unquestionable love that they continue to carry with them, as well as witness the sadness, frustration and depression that cast shadows on their days.
