I was so thrilled to have my work selected to be part of the most beautiful exhibition, ‘Lullabies in Lockdown’ at Sunny Bank Mills gallery in Leeds curated by Beth Duggelby.
Lullabies In Lockdown was a group illustration exhibition showcasing the work of several local, national and international artists who became parents during the Covid pandemic.
The exhibition ran during October 2022 and it uncovered quieter or untold stories around navigating parenthood during the pandemic as well as celebrating the tender moments, precious times and lives of the babies who stayed at home.
I exhibited four pieces from my project ‘the Patchwork Family’ a documentation of my adoption journey during the pandemic.
The Patchwork Family is a story aimed at gently raising the subject of a unique family make up that would help adoptive families, as well as those who have been through other routes to finding their family. The subject of being part of a non-biologically related family is raised in an abstract way to start conversations around identity, family and belonging.
This project has been my way of thinking about how I would bring up themes of identity and family with my child and hold space for them to speak about how they feel as they grow and understand their life story.
It was also a way of imagining the little family moments I wanted so desperately, the bath and bedtime routine, snuggling on the sofa as a family and having a house full of toys.
I found the exhibition very moving and it tenderly raised the beautiful, heartbreaking and special moments of many different journeys to parenthood over the strange and isolating time that was the pandemic.
I was touched that Beth had included many diverse stories of people navigating the early stages of parenthood during lockdown, and stories from those deciding to be childfree or experiencing baby loss during this isolating time.
The stories and illustrations shared were intimate and beautiful and it was such a thought provoking exhibition. It felt very special to see work telling stories not often shared in a gallery setting.
There is more information about Sunny Bank Mills and the ‘Lullabies in Lockdown’ exhibition and the other exhibiting artists here.
If you’d like to find out more about adoption a fantastic starting place is the First for Adoption Website or feel free to drop me a message in the comments or via e mail.