Nasser Azam immigrated to England from Pakistan with his family as a child in 1970. This watercolour is one of several early portraits centred on his family, that he completed during the early 1980s. The contrast of the title is that between youth and maturity, as he captures two generations of his family: his brother and mother, seated closely together, their heads touching and the mother's folded arms lying across both their laps; their expressions serious but tender, also serve to further strengthen their maternal bond.