Exploring Childhood Memories Through Photography and Arts: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This systematic literature review explores the interaction of photography, childhood memories, and the arts, emphasising their significance in self-awareness, emotional healing, and personal development. Childhood memories, essential for the formation of identity and personality, can be re-evaluated through artistic practices, providing insights into prior experiences and promoting emotional healing. Photography, unlike conventional art forms, offers a distinctive combination of realism and abstraction, functioning as an effective medium for examining memory, identity, and trauma. This review integrates theoretical frameworks and research findings, highlighting the capacity of creative involvement to stimulate human inquiry and self-discovery. Prominent themes discerned in the literature are historical and cultural viewpoints on memory, the representation of invisible elements of childhood, the sensory and emotional aspects of memory recall, and the function of art in confronting childhood trauma. The work of artists like Frida Kahlo and Paul Klee illustrates the impact of formative events on artistic expression, providing deep emotional understanding. The review also identifies deficiencies in current research, specifically the insufficient examination of the incorporation of art and photography into therapy methodologies for trauma and memory. The article finishes by suggesting avenues for future research, emphasising the application of new media and sensory engagement to augment the therapeutic efficacy of photography and art in memory exploration.