Skip to main content
Black and white image of a pregnant women preparing for birth

Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood 

Dates: Sat 19 Apr 11:00 - Sun 13 Jul 2025 18:00
Location: Galleries

Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood 

 

This major group exhibition, curated by Hettie Judah with Hayward Gallery Touring, brings together the joys, heartaches, myths, mess and mishaps of motherhood through over 100 artworks, from the feminist avant-garde to the present day.  

Featuring the work of more than 60 modern and contemporary artists, this exhibition approaches motherhood as a creative enterprise, albeit one at times tempered by ambivalence, exhaustion or grief. Acts of Creation explores lived experience of motherhood, offering a complex account that engages with contemporary concerns about gender, caregiving and reproductive rights.  

 Featuring painting, photography, sculpture, sound and film, artists in the exhibition include: Felicity Allen; Janine Antoni; Cassie Arnold; Bobby Baker; Elina Brotherus; Liesel Burisch; Cathy Cade; Lea Cetera; Jai Chuhan; Eileen Cooper; Renee Cox; Dorothy Cross; Rineke Dijkstra; Natalie Djurberg and Hans Berg; Leni Dothan; Marlene Dumas; Catherine Elwes; Tracey Emin; Jessa Fairbrother; Feministo; Fenix; Maeve Gilmore; Anna Grevenitis; Camille Henrot; Susan Hiller; Ghislaine Howard; Elsa James; Chantal Joffe; Claudette Johnson; Mary Kelly; Liss LaFleur; Sally Mann; MATERNAL FANTASIES; Mother Art; Wangechi Mutu; Ishbel Myerscough; Everlyn Nicodemus; Catherine Opie; Fani Parali; Celia Paul; Cathie Pilkington; Laure Prouvost; Paula Rego; Su Richardson; Sister Seven; Monica Sjöö; Annegret Soltau; Tabitha Soren; Heather Spears; Nancy Spero; Hannah Starkey; Emma Talbot; Mierle Laderman Ukeles; VALIE EXPORT; Christine Voge; Del LaGrace Volcano; Barbara Walker; Caroline Walker; Carrie Mae Weems; Nancy Willis; Hermione Wiltshire; Hermione Wiltshire and Clare Bottomley; Carmen Winant; Daphne Wright; Billie Zangewa.  

Women sitting a bathtub in a barn with cows. One cows head is nuzzling the women
Janine Antoni, 2038, 2000. Photo by Janine Antoni Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York
Black and white image, sitting on a washing machine
VALIE EXPORT Die Geburtenmadonna 1976 VALIE EXPORT Bildrecht Wien 2023
a sketchy illustration of a women in her underwear with head pressed against a bed
Paula Rego, Untitled 2, 1999, Courtesy Cristea Roberts Gallery
A painting of breast pumps, bottles and milk containers
Caroline Walker, Bottles and Pumps, 2022, Courtesy the artist
Black and white image of women in glasses eating while lying on a bed and a child in the background does the ironing
Anna Grevenitis, Regard series 2015, Photo by Anna Grevenitis
Black and white image of a pregnant women preparing for birth
Hermione Wiltshire Nicola, Preparing for Birth, 2008, Courtesy the artist
Women sitting a bathtub in a barn with cows. One cows head is nuzzling the women
Janine Antoni, 2038, 2000. Photo by Janine Antoni Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York
Black and white image, sitting on a washing machine
VALIE EXPORT Die Geburtenmadonna 1976 VALIE EXPORT Bildrecht Wien 2023
a sketchy illustration of a women in her underwear with head pressed against a bed
Paula Rego, Untitled 2, 1999, Courtesy Cristea Roberts Gallery
A painting of breast pumps, bottles and milk containers
Caroline Walker, Bottles and Pumps, 2022, Courtesy the artist
Black and white image of women in glasses eating while lying on a bed and a child in the background does the ironing
Anna Grevenitis, Regard series 2015, Photo by Anna Grevenitis
Black and white image of a pregnant women preparing for birth
Hermione Wiltshire Nicola, Preparing for Birth, 2008, Courtesy the artist
Women sitting a bathtub in a barn with cows. One cows head is nuzzling the women
Janine Antoni, 2038, 2000. Photo by Janine Antoni Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York
Black and white image, sitting on a washing machine
VALIE EXPORT Die Geburtenmadonna 1976 VALIE EXPORT Bildrecht Wien 2023
a sketchy illustration of a women in her underwear with head pressed against a bed
Paula Rego, Untitled 2, 1999, Courtesy Cristea Roberts Gallery
A painting of breast pumps, bottles and milk containers
Caroline Walker, Bottles and Pumps, 2022, Courtesy the artist
Black and white image of women in glasses eating while lying on a bed and a child in the background does the ironing
Anna Grevenitis, Regard series 2015, Photo by Anna Grevenitis
Black and white image of a pregnant women preparing for birth
Hermione Wiltshire Nicola, Preparing for Birth, 2008, Courtesy the artist
Two people smile and hold glasses of wine as they look at Michelle William's Gamaker's work in a hanging round vitrine.

Sign up for updates on exhibitions & events

Plan your visit

A gallery full of dark blue light, with a film projected on a wall showing a figure lying on its back with a cloud of insects above it.

Gallery

Contemporary art exhibitions in our two beautiful gallery spaces
colourful seats in DCA cinema

Cinema

Bringing you new releases, vintage favourites and indie gems from around the world
A group of people choose paints in DCA Print Studio.

Print Studio

State-of-the-art facilities for printmaking, photography and digital design
Learning artist helping a fmily to screen print in Create Space

Learning

See, think, make and do at DCA
Two customers browse in DCA Shop.

Shop

Open Mon-Sun, 10:00-17:30
Three people holding up their wine glasses in Jute Cafe Bar

Eat & Drink at Jute Café Bar

A popular choice in the heart of the city