Artwork

Some women dream their whole lives of becoming a mother. Early on, I never wanted or planned on having children. When I found myself unexpectedly pregnant with my eldest daughter at nineteen years old, a strange phenomenon took over me. You could say it was biological or even spiritual; whatever the case, I felt as though this child needed to be here. Three kids later, I still struggle with my identity as a mother. I’ve always been one to fight with cultural norms and societal expectations. I have felt complicated emotions surrounding my role as a mother: perceived failure, unfitness, unnatural, too distant, too controlling, too domestic. I rejected motherhood leaking into my hobbies and interests wherever possible, aside from the education of my daughters in the arts. In the past few years, I have seen motherhood’s effects ripple through the walls I had built. It has affected my perspective and opened a new layer of empathy. Despite my best attempts to isolate this part of myself, I have come to accept, explore, and embrace my role as a mother in my most guarded subject—art.

“One Mother to Another” features sculptures and two-dimensional works. I utilize multiple forms of media to forge sculptural pieces that petition for interaction with the viewer. Through this action, the viewer is drawn into the role of the mother in the sculpture. Significant works from art history are referenced and nostalgic items serve as vessels. In my two-dimensional works, I frame the contemporary plight of mothers in biblical art history motifs to inspire empathy in viewers, for a culture likely different from their own. Motherhood transcends social, religious, and political confines; it is a universal truth.