Zoe Buckman

My mum, Jennie Buckman, was a north London Jew who, with my dad, proudly chose to raise me and my two brothers in Hackney.

When I became older and started to become more in tune with my political leanings, there was a disconnect between the feminist in me and the hip hop side of me, and I don't know if, in some way, those influences are also present in Tupac's work.

I'm atypical in my personal life, my situation is not that of the average struggling artist, and so I feel like I have to work even harder to prove myself and let the work speak for itself. At the same time, I'm not prepared to hide who I truly am.

I don't think I ever really felt comfortable with photography as my sole medium. But it wasn't really until I became a mother - I really credit that to opening me up artistically, I think because it was such an empowering birth for me - it gave me the confidence to explore different modes of expression.

Becoming a mother really put me in touch with not just my mortality but also my baby's mortality. You spent nine months working on this thing, and it's finally there, and the first thing you think about is, 'I don't want my child to die.'

It wasn't until I became a mother that I started to refer to myself as an artist as opposed to a fine art photographer.

I don't like putting the female form behind glass or on a wall, further objectifying it as much as art does.

As artists we need to stop making work only for gallery or museum walls, or the coffee tables of collectors.

I attended the Women's March on Washington with a group of artists, curators, and art-world professionals.

People abandon you because they can't handle the depth and complexity of your experience, and that is ultimately a gift. It shows you what is important, who is important, and who is really, truly in your corner.

I was a big hip hop girl, and still am, I listened to artists like Wu Tang, and K'Naan, but I was a particular fan of Biggie and Tupac.

Caring for someone who is terminally ill is traumatic, but it's a privilege too. It's part of being a woman.

My journey with grief, with learning how to grow through it, rather than get over it, will be a lifelong one.

I'm a Brit, so I come from a country where in the run-up to a general election, no one talks about abortion.

The process of learning how to defend my body, how to own my space and take away space from other people, and getting me in touch with my masculine, testosterone-heavy side, from a personal development standpoint, it was really helpful to me - as well as releasing aggression and frustration.

My art should have a lightness and sweetness. Especially since it has heavy and triggering subject matters, I prefer to present it in a way that's palatable and draws people in.

It's so difficult as a female artist to make actual money, in my experience.

One thing to remember is that human beings connect through vulnerability. That's our core way of connecting.

Our consciousness wants to connect through struggle and even pain. So in a funny sort of way, vulnerability is attractive.

For me, 'Jewishness' manifests within my humor, slang, cynicism, culinary tastes, and the spirit of generosity ingrained in me.

I'm hoping to raise a little consciousness and shine some light on the idea of responsibility.

Tupac was actually pro-choice, which is fantastic. Of course, those moments in rap are few and far between.

I'm someone who lives with the work of artists I've been lucky enough to know or trade with.

I have been drawn to India since I was a kid.

Cutting out images you like from art books and framing them is a great way of getting beautiful works on your wall. You can also frame magazine images or pick up inexpensive art at museum gift shops.