The depiction of mother and child is one of the oldest and most enduring themes in art history. From ancient cave paintings and Egyptian tombs to Renaissance frescoes and contemporary depictions, artists have long engaged with the complex experiences of motherhood. 

Traversing geographies, cultures and mediums, the exhibition Mother presents diverse stories drawn from across the National Gallery of Victoria’s Collection. The exhibition features works by contemporary and historical Australian and First Nations artists, alongside international art. It explores both universal and culturally specific experiences of motherhood – from private transformation and societal expectation to intergenerational trauma and loss, mythology and religious iconography, storytelling and language and the deep connection between motherhood, nature and Country.

Bringing together more than 200 works, the exhibition features artists including Davida Allen, Hannah Brontë, Tui Emma Gillies and Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows, Sophie Calle, Karla Dickens, Tracey Emin, Christine Godden, Francisco Goya y Lucientes, Katherine Hattam, Camille Henrot, David Hockney, Kate Just, Iluwanti Ken, Yvonne Koolmatrie, Tala Madani, Hayley Millar Baker, Tracey Moffatt, Ann Newmarch, Ruth O’Leary, Patricia Piccinini, Faye Toogood, Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Djerrknu Yunupinu.