The image of the mother with a child constitutes one of the most persistent visual narratives in human history. A range of deities and rituals addressed the perils of pregnancy, birthing and the fragility of infant life in ancient societies. Artworks found across cultures repeatedly establish mothers as divine progenitors, entrusted with fertilising, renewing and protecting not just the young, but society as well. This exhibition explores these ideas transculturally — to see how a universal theme can be read locally — revealing as much of each region and period’s history as it is of the migration of people that spread these ideas across distant eras and geographies. 

The emblematic works that make up this exhibition, each come from rich contexts. A comparative reading of these contexts reveals relevant transformations in religion, patronage and society. The exhibition is arranged chronologically and invites the visitor to recognise religious and stylistic differences, alongside the archetype of motherhood as a foundational act — a collective emblem, referencing both, a psychological and spiritual experience. It is a gesture that holds together fragility and hope, memory and future.