Motherhood is very old theme in art and culture, and feminist and ecofeminist movements want to change how we think about motherhood. In a context that values the coexistence of people and creatures, today’s art looks at how people and animals are connected. This seems to suggest that there is more research to be done on how motherhood, female identity, and the natural world come together in contemporary art. From what I witnessed, my personal experience and knowledge of female identity in Chinese families made me feel the necessity to explore this topic. Besides, there are global issues regarding the exploitation of ecology and femininity in patriarchal societies that can be realized as social values through this type of artistic practice worldwide. Therefore, I would like to explore how female identity in motherhood is seen through visual art that shows women-animal links and nature and to see how modern women, especially mothers find freedom by identifying with nature and animal-like qualities. Apart from that, I would like to look at the strong symbols of motherhood in ecofeminism and through art creation. This essay will discuss these topics through books, films and artists that have inspired me greatly and will try to build up my own theoretical framework by discussing these contexts in relation to my own recent works.

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Leading The Routledge Companion to Motherhood (Andrea, Lynn and Melinda, 2019) has proved to me that the theory of motherhood delves into the centrality of care-giving and the relationship between humans and the material world. This theory has provided me with a new perspective on the construction of the art world through painting in order to create conditions that are more favourable to mothers and children and, in the process, to re-examine how images of motherhood can bring new ideas and visual impact to feminist art.  In addition to this,  I was heartened that the book explores how ideas about what it means to be a “mother” and what it actually means to be a family are constantly changing. In a globalized world, we are surrounded by societies that are inclusive of diverse parenting styles, however, these public initiatives made me think about whether they imply equality or simply mask an increasingly strict definition of “motherhood” and “family” that reduces or denies motherhood choices.  This is what I often want to indicate in my images, and what I hope is that my pictorial characters or scenes seem to explode with unyielding submission to these notions of unfairness and a bright vision for the future，these ideas are reflected in my work Rebirth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my art practice from Unit 1 to 3, apart from the maternal research on human intergenerational relationships, I have also been focusing on the dynamics of eco-feminism and exploring how mothers relate to nature, as well as the impact and exploitation of modern civilization on the ecological balance, which is also a inspiration I had when I first started to make art. I try to bring my protagonist into a quiet natural environment where she will find her true self. As well as exploring how to use human and animal symbols in art to represent motherhood as something free, natural and mysterious. Just like Georgia O'Keeffe’s Stump in Red Hills (1940) that transcends the concrete appearance of the natural form and demonstrates the artist's understanding of the spiritual dimension of nature, although it is very subtle, this unique ingenuity also gives this work a mysterious aura. I believe that good feminism must be fraternity, which should not only be reflected in society and life, but should also return to nature and the true nature. - what is ‘true’ nature? So we should not just focus on the human world, but also think well about the interdependent relationship between human beings and nature. From this process, I read a book that is very important to my practice that is Ecofeminism: Feminist Intersections with Other Animals and the Earth (Carol, J., Adams, L.G., 2014), and got the inspiration that by protecting and respecting nature and women, we can better promote ecological balance and gender equality. I think it is somewhat groundbreaking, as a review for this book says ” A breakthrough collection of update influential essays in the field and fresh and diverse animal-centered analyses addressing urgent questions of climate, care, and affect. Adams and Gruen have curated a superb text for readers new to ecofeminist thought as well as seasoned scholars."(Vasile, S, 1925，p102) From my own observation and life experience, women usually take up the role of natural resource managers in their families and communities, such as taking care of plants, animals and water resources. Women often have an advantage over men in accumulating and transferring ecological knowledge in a practical way. In addition to this, women seem to have a greater ability to empathize with animals or spirit-filled nature than men. This is why I agree with the texts written in this book related to animal rights and anti-animal cruelty and anti-vivisection, and the presence of female beastly figures in my paintings. So gender oppression and ecological destruction are intertwined phenomena. Women are often marginalized in society and face multiple economic, cultural and political oppressions. In turn, the destruction of the natural environment often stems from male-dominated power structures and consumer cultures. Therefore, through the promotion of women's status and respect for women's rights, ecological problems can be dealt with more effectively at the societal level and sustainable development can be promoted.

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My creations have always been filled with a sense of narrative, where each image feels like it is telling a woman's story. For example, a woman returning to the forest to embrace her animalistic soul, or a woman on her way back  home, or a woman adventuring naked in the city. The idea of “escape” was mentioned in my research for Units 1 and 2, and it is connected to the idea of “ leaving” that I am going to express in Unit 3. I realized that the words “escape” and “flee” were too passive, so I decided to use the more active word “leaving” to depict my characters. It so happened that the movie Like A Rolling Stone (2024) was released around this time and gave me a lot of inspiration. “ Leaving” is not only a physical departure, but also a psychological liberation. In an interview, Min Su, the main character of the film, mentioned that “I may have never thought of myself before, but now I want to put myself first” (Min, S. 2024.) When she realizes this in her oppressive family environment, her subjectivity is built out of the rubble, and she no longer expects anyone's approval, so she succeeds. This is a movie based on a true story about a woman who has collected a lifetime of oppression and is brave enough to leave her family ties and go into nature, reaping the rewards of freedom on her journey. So her story is even more inspiring for women who are still oppressed today. I have often wondered what mysterious forces of nature are calling people to run away, and whether women like the movie's heroine are also drawn to a more primitive world to find their original selves because of the earth, which is also a mother. It could be the case that this is not so much about leaving home as it is about returning to one's true home. This reminds me of the origin of human matriarchal clans and the matriarchal societies of the animal world, which I will analyze later in the works Stare at and Urban adventure.

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During my research I have  to mention the artist Georgia O’Keeffe who has been a very important influence on my work. As far as i am concerned, Georgia has always insisted on her own unique artistic vision, creating a highly individualized style of painting that synthesizes the formal language of modern European abstraction with the themes of the traditional American pictorialist school. To the best of my knowledge, Georgia does not explicitly claim to be an eco-feminist, but I can perceive an implicit concern for nature and conservation in her work. She loves the desert landscapes of New Mexico and believes that the stillness and beauty of nature has the power to purify the heart, and this understanding of nature can be seen as an early manifestation of ecological consciousness. With a keen eye for observation, she records the nuances of colour, shape, and light. In this way, she explores themes such as landscapes, flowers and animal skulls and bones in series, or more accurately, serialized. For example, one of her works, Ram's Head with Hollyhock (1935), juxtaposes animal skulls and flower to symbolize the cycle of death and rebirth. This focus on the cycle of nature reflects the recognition of the cycle of life in eco-feminism. Through the soft and tough images of nature, I I think her paintings show the vitality of women while allowing the audience to feel the complexity and resilience of nature. As Marsden Hartley concluded, this "transmigration of bone" shared with the earlier skeletal subjects "the spirit of death," and announced the newest phase of the artist's development "portraying the journey of her own inner states of being." Sometimes, the conventions of visual harmony are broken, creating new visual impacts. She likes to emphasize visual edges with metaphysical meanings, such as night and day, earth and sky, life and death as we can see in Black space（Gerogia，O.,1944). She is not afraid of huge, symbolic echoes; her skeletons often appear strangely alive, like flowers in the desert. This visual impact is also the feeling I hope my work will bring to the viewers.

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In my process of creating I always thought about question:  how can female artists use motherhood and animal symbols to challenge patriarchal ideas and take back the idea of being a mother? The artist Louise Bourgeois seems to give me the answer. The sculpture I would like to discuss has had a significant impact on the themes of my research, it is called Maman (Louise, B., 1999). My first impression of this work was very shocking, the spider is of a huge scale, made of black steel, and it really scared me that looked so cold with spread eight legs spread wide. But when I got to know the piece in depth, I was deeply moved, because it shows the majority of mothers behind it. When you go below the sculpture and look up, it's like a safe home, with a few eggs made of pebbles in the spider's belly. As we all know the spider has a short life, constantly weaving webs, it will not be angry if someone breaks the web but will continue to mend it. Just like a mother, she spends her life and maintaining the web of the family. I assume that although it is far from beautiful in the traditional sense, it contains great power, and updated the public's concept of women. Maman led me to find some specific entry points for my creations, she made me think of my mother and grandmother so that I could also express a new attitude towards the role of motherhood from the perspective of my own experience. In addition, it gave me inspiration for the female figure I wanted to represent in my images - exploring motherhood with creatures and beasts that share the mother spider's original instinctive protectiveness of her offspring. So my works gradually show the claws of beasts with white houses in their hands, beastly women in city road. Above all, this work made me think more about the power of motherhood and animal symbols in fiminist art. It is true that her work has opened up more possibilities for my practice recently.

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Through the above theoretical explanation and analysis, I would like to discuss in the remaining text how my work is manifested in these views. it could be argued that MA Show's work Rebirth is a milestone for me. In this painting I explore the definition of female identity through the concept of 'motherhood', the 'relationship between human and beast', as well as the 'body', based on my own experience of the female role in the family in China. I try to use some original or naturalistic visual to represent a mother in my perception. The reason why I can have a strong resonance for the film Like a rolling stone (2024) and Georgia O’Keffe‘s works is that from my own experience, my mother has given me great inspiration. She also 'left' from an unfair marriage and took me with her when I was ten. In the days following, she brought me into contact with nature many times, those in the plateau areas of Western China and the northern environment that we southerners don't often go near. In a sense, my mother also achieved identity freedom by embracing nature, and personally practiced eco-feminism's actions to rebel against patriarchy. Besides, I think that while she was freeing herself, she was also subtly influencing my concept of marriage. She didn't want me to have a painful shadow in inter-generational relationships. This often makes me feel how lucky I am. In terms of the painting 's medium, I used oil on canvas. I wanted to show the realistic female body and skin in the picture as much as possible. It could be the case that certain oil painting happens to have the characteristics of being able to depict the painting object in detail and being able to be modified repeatedly. In the colour planning of the picture, I used low-saturation but calm green from nature, red that represents passionate ideals and romance in my cultural context, and white that symbolize hope and illumination. To be exact, green, red, and white also play a leading role in my other colored oil paintings. The appearance of red represents an important moment, just like the true color and essence of blood, fresh and full of vitality. Although it occupies a small area in the picture, I think it plays the role of a finishing touch. Here I would like to mention the "Law of Unequal Areas" proposed by Yuying Wang（2018）, which also gave me some color suggestions，like she said less is more, smaller areas of red tend to bring a more visually central experience. In addition, my works and O’Keeffe's works also have similarities in the expression of the content of the picture. Like her, I like to depict natural objects such as land and trees, and they have the same sense of tilt and flow as the main body of the picture. At the same time, my idea of ​​the bestiality of the mother image is partly based on the anthropomorphism of animals like Bourgeois’ spider Maman (1999), and on this basis, some extensions of themes such as soul, life and death are also incorporated.

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The secondary work Stare at I would like to present at this stage is a black and white drawing that has lead me to an important breakthrough in my research on the theme of the inner relationship between humans and animals. Apart from reflecting the use of animal behavioral traits in female portraits and the complexity and power of the maternal figure, it also awakens an exploration of the use of overlapping iconography and black-and-white double-exposure photography in my images.  It is assumed that the relationship between humans and animals is often used to express human instincts, emotions and underlying wildness. In this piece, I depict the visually striking overlap of a fierce animal with a human face. The animal's body language or facial expression is borrowed to depict the underlying primal impulses, strength and protective urges of the human heart. As Louise Bourgeois’ spider suggests, when a mother is faced with an extreme situation, she will display animal-like survival instincts, such as anger, fear, or protection for her young. However, in human society we tend to hide our facial expressions during emotional outbursts, so you can see that the woman's eyes are flat but serious, in contrast to the roaring lion in the other layer. This is the feeling I want to draw and eventually paint. For the collection of material for the drawing, I unearthed some of it in documentaries on the animal world such as big cats(2018). Based on the fact that animals are seen as symbols of motherhood in many cultures, in Norse mythology and some Native North American cultures, the bear is often seen as a sacred maternal figure, especially those that are protective and teachable, such as bears or lions, these animals often convey the strength and sacrifice of a mother. The artistic approach to this piece has similarities to the double exposure technique used in black and white photography. Through the overlapping process, I attempted to create a dreamy and polysemous effect that blends two different images into one, adding complexity and interpretive variety to the image. I hope that through double exposure, I can express multi-layered meanings and visual tensions, so that viewers can explore the deeper meanings of the works through different perspectives, and understand the intertwining of animalism and rationality in the human heart.

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Black and white drawings are my first choice when I want to express a narrative image, and in the last of my works I will discuss I have taken on the ongoing exploration of the matriarchal society and the female body from my previous research. What is new about the emergence is that it takes the protagonists of my images into an urban environment, temporarily displacing them from the natural world. Like the women I depicted in my previous work Rebirth with the lower half of their bodies exposed, I am not ashamed to show bodies rich in raw power and fertility. The woman in this Urban adventure is huge, and she bursts into the city naked, contrasting sharply with the cars and miniature men on the road. It reminds me of  the movie King Kong(1933), but the main character is a combination of a huge masculine King Kong and a small woman. I think perhaps the way I've put it together challenges the traditional view of what it means to have a large male and a small female. The female character appears dominant and action-oriented in my painting, suggesting female leadership and control of the life force in matrilineal society. One of the important points in my research is that motherhood is not only based on individual emotional behavior, but also an essential survival system for species. According to Kristen Hawkes' (1990) research it is stated that in foraging groups, matrilineal societies are less likely to kill female infants than patrilineal societies.As a consequence, I believe that mothers and children are genetically and biologically selecting for each other, in a way. The image of motherhood in my works is multi-faceted, both as a protector and a bearer, bearing the pressure of family and society. This duality makes motherhood not only a symbol of fertility and nurturing, but also a profound reflection of psychology and emotion. Lightning serves as a strong visual element in this painting. The hard lines not only add to the dynamism of the image, connecting the ground and the figures, but also seem to bring about an uncontrollable force of nature, symbolizing a sudden revelation. This combination of lines and surfaces usually brings a visual transformation to the picture. It is similar to the grey river lines in Georgia O’Keeffe's work the Black Place (1943), and echoes my pink lightning in Rebirth.

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In conclusion, the work I have created in Unit 3 has been slowly developed from a range of concepts and theories, and my painting process strongly responds to these themes, expressed using a diversity of painting media. I hope that in my future research and creative practice I can continue to explore my knowledge of human nature, sustain my reflection on the broader meaning of female identity, and ultimately motivate people to return to nature and discover themselves. （words：3364）

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