HAYLEY MILLAR BAKER IN NGV’S ‘MOTHER’ OPENING NEXT YEAR

Featuring more than 2OO+ historical and contemporary works from the NGV Collection, MOTHER is the most comprehensive thematic exhibition exploring motherhood ever mounted in an Australian art institution. The exhibition explores how the experiences of being and having a mother continue to fascinate artists across cultures and generations, including Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Camille Henrot, David Hockney, Tracey Moffat, Iluwanti Ken, Käthe Kollwitz, Patricia Piccinini, Rembrandt van Rijn and more.

From the walls of caves to ancient Egyptian tombs, Renaissance frescos and beyond, the depiction of mother and child stands as one of the oldest and most enduring themes in art history. Traversing geographies, cultures and mediums, the exhibition unpacks both universal and culturally specific experiences of motherhood, such as transformation and joy; societal expectations and invisible labour; mythology and religious iconography; as well as the deep connection between motherhood, nature and Country for First Nations communities.

The exhibition features inspiring and thought-provoking works by contemporary and historical Australian, First Nations and international artists that celebrate and challenge ideas of motherhood, including works by Hannah Brontë, Davida Allen, Sophie Calle,  Karla Dickens,  Christine Godden, Francisco Goya y Lucientes, Yvonne Koolmatrie, Tala Madani, Hayley Millar Baker, Ann Newmarch, Judith Wright and Djerrkŋu Yunupiŋu. Works traverse mediums from painting to weaving, decorative arts to moving image.

MOTHER
27.O3.2O26 — 12.O7.2O26
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
Federation Square
Flinders St & Russell St
Naarm/Melbourne VIC 3OOO

Image: Image courtesy of Mother, NGV media pack.