Motherhood: An Exhibition, Olympia Auctions, London

11- 17 February 2019

An exhibition of paintings and drawings by Amy Shuckburgh with sculpture by Arabella Brooke

An evening raising money for charity West London Action for Children,

with writer Clover Stroud in conversation with Amy Shuckburgh, discussing motherhood and creativity.

Amy’s motherhood series explores intimate moments of motherhood, capturing in loose lines and vivid colour aspects of the serenity, exhaustion, stresses and pleasures of being a mother. These works look at the everyday physical and emotional demands of motherhood, and observing a world that has often been overlooked by artists; a private domestic realm where women are strong and yet frequently vulnerable and ignored.

Amy’s work challenges the traditional male gaze, with images of women’s bodies that are not idealistic or heroic but raw and truthful. As a mother herself, she has tried to explore what helps to create a woman’s sense of her own identity when she finds herself subsumed by her role as care-giver.

This series on women and children began in 2016, as a way of processing and celebrating becoming a mother, and the particular challenge of caring for a child with special needs. Amy’s work draws on decades of portrait-painting, both of children and adults, and her interest in expressive and instinctive mark-making.

Gallery of Motherhood work can be found here.

REVIEWS

“Intimacy and constant movement are emblems of a mother’s work tending young children, activities still often performed solely by herself. I am moved by the depth of emotion and conveyance of maternal caring articulated through the ease of Amy Shuckburgh’s art of fast-moving lines and kaleidoscope colors.” Dr Andrea Liss, Professor of Visual Culture & Cultural Theory, California State University San Marcos

“Her refreshingly honest pictures in pastels and oils convey the intensity and physicality of mothering, often depicting a naked mother breastfeeding, bathing, comforting, reading a story and interacting with her children.  Sometimes the awkward stance of her body or the blocks of jarring colour hint also at the poignancy and exhaustion this brings. As Amy says ‘it is cathartic way of talking visually about my experience.’ “ Antonia Grace

“Sensuous without a trace of coercive sentiment, embodied without burden, Amy Shuckburgh’s delicate yet bold and vivid images of motherhood manage to evoke a portrait for our time that avoids the twin pitfalls of idealisation and punishment.” Jacqueline Rose, Professor of Humanities, Birkbeck, Author of MOTHERS: AN ESSAY ON LOVE AND CRUELTY

“Your pictures are remarkable - such a good depiction of modern day motherhood! You somehow manage to capture that feeling of peace despite living in exhausted chaos. They're really lovely, you should be very proud.” Sarah Turner aka The Unmumsy Mum

“Your work is beautiful and actually moved me to tears, I am far from being an art critic but I found this series to be so tender, sensitive and capturing so well those bittersweet (and often unwitnessed!) moments of motherhood.” Collector

“I saw your work in the Hoxton and am now totally obsessed. I was pregnant when I discovered your work and now have a new baby and I think your work is beautiful.” Collector