MEDELA'S MOTHER'S MILK IN ART POSTER COMPETITION 2020

INSPIRATION AND EXPLANATIONATION STATEMENT

“Every Journey is Beautiful” By Madeline Hughes

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“Every Journey is Beautiful”, has togetherness as the central theme. Every mother has her own and a shared journey with breastfeeding. This artwork brings together mothers of diverse backgrounds to show that breastfeeding is completely normal in every culture. I wanted to create a soft, calming and unified artwork.

The pastel colour palette of baby blues, feminine soft pinks and creamy yellows, with the light blush, beige and browns of the many different skin tones, all work harmoniously together to create a peaceful aesthetic.

I placed the five mothers in a circle. At the centre is a mother breastfeeding. I wanted her to be the focus as that is the key context of the poster. Around her, I placed four mothers in different stages of breastfeeding, whether that be the burping, the nurturing, the cuddling and sometimes the napping afterwards.

The mother at the top left still has her baby bump and is holding her very newborn close to her heart who is in a peaceful slumber after feeding.

Going clockwise, like the moving of time, I made each baby slightly bigger and older till the final mother in the bottom left with her baby who is much bigger and older. I wanted to have an older child, may be 2-3 years old, as breastfeeding does not have an age limit and many mothers choose to continue their journey for many years. I felt this was important to include in the progressional development of the breastfeeding cycle I was showcasing.

I wanted to ensure every mother and child was different as every journey and every child is different, but the one thing they all share is the nourishing and nurturing that comes with breastfeeding.

Now more than ever, mothers need to know they are not alone in their journey with breastfeeding. At times, breastfeeding can seem isolating and can feel laborious, but I wanted mothers to know they are never alone - there are mothers everywhere who are going through a similar experience.

Every mother has joys, struggles, triumph and sometimes “try again later” moments with breastfeeding. I have learnt this whilst talking with my two cousins who have babies and listening to their stories with breastfeeding. I wanted to highlight the importance of togetherness, feeling okay and that breastfeeding is natural and so beneficial for babies and mothers.