An exhibition named after the Pagan festival Ostara, which celebrates spring and new beginnings, is the first new display of the year at the Broadway Gallery.
Ostara is Freya Pocklington’s exhibition of recent works celebrating pregnancy, parenthood, and most importantly, female artists themselves.
Opening at the Letchworth gallery on January 20, Freya explores these themes through her work with complex, expressive imagery that take the viewer through the happiness and anguish of the pregnancy and parenthood experience.
Kris Day, curator at the Broadway Gallery, said: “It is unfortunate that galleries can too often overlook the pressures facing artists throughout early parenthood.
"The backdrop of Freya’s exhibition is a good time for us to assess how we can be more accommodating to these circumstances.”
In what is far from a standard exhibition, Freya captures the uncertainty and excitement of parenthood, through innovative and exciting expression.
Freya utilises self-portraiture and draws upon her own lived experience as someone with long-term health conditions going through the process of having a child.
The exhibition will be supported by events and workshops, all with a focus on empowering artists entering parenthood.
Curator Kris added: "Our programme of events, talks and workshops centred around Ostara aim to highlight this issue and to offer support to artists to continue their work and to encourage expecting and recent parents to explore how creative practices can aid positive mental health and well-being throughout this time in their lives."
Workshops include The Maternal Journal, an opportunity to commemorate the experience of parenthood, and a programme of expecting parent and parent/baby art sessions.
Ostara marks artist Freya Pocklington’s return to The Broadway Gallery following her appearance in last summer’s Correspondence01 exhibition.
The exhibition at the gallery in The Arcade is due to open on January 20 and runs until March 6.
For more details, visit www.broadway-letchworth.com
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