MOTHER: Stories from the NGV Collection at NGV Australia

From March 27 to July 12 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, MOTHER: Stories from the NGV Collection brings together a remarkable breadth of art exploring one of the most enduring and universal themes in human creativity: motherhood. 

Bringing together more than 200 works, the exhibition features pieces by contemporary and historical Australian and First Nations artists, alongside international art.

Drawing from the extensive NGV Collection, this ambitious exhibition traces depictions of maternal experience from ancient and historical works to bold contemporary pieces. Encounter iconic faces and rarely seen artworks that illuminate how the bond between parent and child has been represented – and reimagined – through the ages.

Highlights include recent acquisitions and NGV debuts such as Melbourne artist Ruth O’Leary’s photobooth portraits made after the birth of her first child, and two knitted, metaphor-rich works by American-born Australian artist Kate Just, exploring themes of resilience and skin as shelter. Two newly acquired works by celebrated British artist David Hockney – My mother sleeping (1982) and My mother with a parrot (1973–74) – will also be shown at the NGV for the first time.

MOTHER invites audiences to consider motherhood’s different meanings across cultures, media and history – from invisible labour and societal norms to deep spiritual and cultural bonds with Country, nature and identity. The exhibition unfolds in chapters that move from creation and nurturing to care, labour and memory, and finally to themes of loss, legacy and intergenerational strength.

Artists featured include Tracey Emin, Sophie Calle, Camille Henrot, Iluwanti Ken, Yvonne Koolmatrie, Patricia Piccinini, Djerrkŋu Yunupiŋu and many more.

MOTHER is free to visit.

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