Breastfeed: Artist creates series of powerful portraits of "strong, nurturing, fragile" mothers

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

Artist Leanne Pearce has created Breastfeed, a series of powerful portraits of breastdeeding. The 34-year-old University of Sunderland graduate wants these paintings to celebrate and normalise breastfeeding

“It all started with a self-portrait of me and my little girl breastfeeding about a year ago. I felt compelled to capture it because I just thought it was such a lovely bonding experience. I got someone to come and take photos so I could start making the portrait. I use Unison soft pastels and oils. They just enable so much richness, colour and skin tone.

The oils are slightly different: I personally start with painting all the skin blue and then I build up layers on the top to get some really good depth colour.

The subject matter is a charged one and people feel passionately about it. The media are constantly focusing on negative stories which seem to forget the functional, maternal and nutritionally precious value of breastfeeding. It is almost deemed abnormal to breastfeed, especially in public. There are lots of sexualised images out there about boobs – this is not that at all.

I felt this series would contribute to redressing the balance of the natural act of feeding children with their mother’s milk. There are lots of mothers who proudly feed their young. The diversity is displayed within these paintings.

The experiences of all the mothers involved are different. There are young mothers, black mothers and mothers feeding older children and, indeed, feeding two children at once. The work acknowledges this diversity and challenges our perceptions about the subject.

They all cherish breastfeeding and they’ve all had a rocky road at some point in their experiences, so it’s really great for me to talk to them and try to put their experiences into the paintings too. I have breastfed both my young daughters and although initially my path was a rocky one it was also precious and irreplaceable.

During the time I was feeding my second daughter, Boadicea, I kept peering down at her as she looked up at me. It was this connection that compelled me to create a piece of art. I then began to paint other mums and their little ones.

Breastfeeding mothers are strong, powerful, nurturing humans and at some points fragile. Each mother and baby partnership has their own unique story which can change and evolve quite organically or indeed be disrupted. Breastfeeding is often not plain sailing and many people feel vulnerable during this time.

It’s hard to differentiate between something sexual and natural. I have always wanted to do something gorgeous. I’d like to bring attention to this subject. Breastfeeding is a really complex, lovely issue which I feel passionate about.

I’ve received support from the Royal Victory Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle. I’m in talks with somebody from New York to run the project in Harlem, which is really exciting.

I think it’s useful for hospitals and I would like it exhibited there because it helps the midwives to support the staff and help them talk to women and help them start a dialogue about breastfeeding, rather than an instruction manual or something that’s quite clean and clinical. I feel that the paintings give love and warmth to start the conversation.”

• Exhibition is at the University of Sunderland’s Design Centre until May 6 2016.

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Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/painting-and-drawing/art553655-leanne-pearce-breastfeeding-portrait-painting-sunderland