This artwork is part of our Sydney Contemporary 2024 presentation, exhibiting at Carriageworks 5-8 September.

Amber Hearn’s latest body of work is a series of self-portraits woven into landscapes that capture the anticipation of the arrival of her daughter, speaking to both the emotional and physical shifts within the body. The works highlight the complexities of labour and childbirth, whilst encapsulating the symbiotic relationship between the pain and beauty of that experience.

Says Amber of this work, “Mother Court reflects on motherhood, particularly considering my recent experience giving birth to my daughter. This artwork explores the themes of sacrifice inherent in creating life and the narratives surrounding motherhood. The lines and court composition, visible in the underlayers, symbolises the constraints mothers face and their strength in overcoming and embracing change. Earth tones and neutral colours, paired with vibrant pink, also reference my relationship with the hardworking farming women from my lineage who laboured in rural landscapes.”