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, “Preparing For Your Entrance continues exploring my journey of giving birth. Windows and veils symbolise the transition from pregnancy to childbirth, representing both the opening to a new space and the flow of water and milk. The mountainous hill in the foreground mirrors a birthing canal, evoking a sense of expansion and preparation for my daughter’s arrival. The layered forms and colours provide the sensation of wrapping oneself in blankets, nurturing and embracing the body as it shifts and changes. They also represent layers of water gushing over the body, a reference to the safety and confinement of the shower cubicle, a place I have often retreated to.“