Mythical Mother
9th - 30th September
Today the mother is tied up in myth and mystery. If we are to understand who we are then we must look at our mothers, and at our mothers’ mothers. For centuries, mythology and folklore across different cultures have either idealised or demonised women as Goddesses, warriors, clairvoyants, monsters or witches. Whether revered as magical or dreaded as monstrous, representations of motherhood are steeped in expectation and preconceived ideas. We are mythical mothers yet our bodies and identities are still determined and shaped by predominant cultural expectations. What influence have these narratives had on modern mothers? As we lay our heads on the pillow and start dreaming, do we feel empowered? What does motherhood look like for us, and for others? Mythical Mother presents work by nine international artists who grapple with these very questions. The exhibition challenges us to look through and beyond the dominant myths and toward a multifaceted mother whose truth and vulnerability provides a space to reclaim the value of mothering.
Mythical Mother is an online exhibition curated by Georgie White Winter in partnership with Spilt Milk Gallery CIC. The exhibition will be live on our website until September 30th. Exhibiting artists: Shweta Bist, Michelle Gallagher, Marcia Michael, Nadia Nizamudin, Helen Sargeant, Celine Sheridan, Lynsey Watson, Georgie White Winter, and Maliheh Zafarnezhad.
The accompanying programme of events kicks off with an online opening event and conversation with art historian and writer Lucy Soutter who will explore the myths of motherhood with the artists and audience. Our second event; The Stories Our Mothers Told Us, will see four artists from the exhibition (Nadia Nizamudin, Maricia Michael, Helen Sargeant and Georgie White Winter) in discussion with curator and writer Becca Pelly-Fry. Our final event is The Night of Mythical Mothers hosted by Jemima Burrill with new performances from Lynsey Watson, Lisa Evans, Rebecca Livesey-Right, Jemima Burrill and SOPHIE.