Rachel Lee wants to shine a light on the struggles and triumphs of motherhood through the “Colours of Motherhood” project. Photo: Scribbly Gum Photography.
Three hands – one each from her two young sons and the other belonging to her husband – pull Rachel Lee, by limb and hair, in three directions as she stands, naked, clutching her baby.
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, this photo tells a tale anchored in one emotion.
“It was a season of complete and utter overwhelm,” Rachel says.
“The photo was staged, but make no mistake, it was honestly a really bad day. I didn’t have to act; I simply didn’t pretend everything was fine.
“You can see straight away that I have this deadpan expression – the one you get when there’s nothing left to give. A photo of me smiling would have been rare at that time in my life.
“I wanted to acknowledge it’s OK that that was the season I was in, and also celebrate getting through it.”
Aside from claiming second place in the 2023 Icon International Photography Awards, the image has become one of 15 in the “Colours of Motherhood” project, an exhibition and series of complementary events to shine a spotlight on the hidden challenges of motherhood and celebrate the wins.
It’s a culmination of eight years of working closely with mums as part of her business, Scribbly Gum Photography, during which Rachel noticed an increasing trend of mums harbouring ideas of inadequacy and failure.
“I was hearing the same thing over and over. These beautiful, capable, caring mothers were feeling isolated, overwhelmed and disconnected from the community,” she says.
“It can be a challenge for them to know how to start building a village and accessing support options.”
This photo of Rachel Lee was taken in a “season of complete and utter overwhelm”. Photo: Scribbly Gum Photography.
Rachel speaks from experience.
“I had a difficult birth with my eldest, and struggled with the overwhelm of everything. Having three young kids, trying to find time to be my own person in all of that and not feeling it was easy to connect with others,” Rachel says.
“It’s so isolating, and it feels like when you’re scrolling through socials or you’re looking out at the world, it’s easy to trivialise the hard stuff or pretend it’s not there and get on with things.
“In the Illawarra, we are fortunate to have a whole host of experts in the baby and parenting sectors. I have created an opportunity for mums to come and meet with them and have their questions answered in a safe and supportive space.
“Colours of Motherhood creates a space where we can look at the hard stuff together, acknowledge it’s there, chat and connect and get it out in the air so it’s not hidden away anymore. It’s a chance for mums to reduce that isolation and overwhelm.”
The Colours of Motherhood exhibition features mothers, like Kathleen (left), depicting a different feature of motherhood. Photo: Scribbly Gum Photography.
Colours of Motherhood is a three-part project with a photography exhibition, magazine and community events.
The exhibition shares the photos of 15 diverse mums, each of whom has shared a story about a challenge they have experienced in motherhood. Rachel has then created an unapologetic photo that represents that story.
What results is the opposite of stock imagery: audiences should not expect to see typical representations of the topic explored in each picture.
Supplementing the exhibition is a magazine with stories from each of the subjects, providing additional depth and context to their experiences. A dollar from every magazine sale (print and digital) will be donated to The Nurtured Village, a charity that provides practical support for mums in early parenthood.
A range of community events has been coordinated to provide an opportunity for meaningful discussions, connection opportunities, empowerment and learning, exploring topics like breastfeeding, birth trauma, challenging behaviours and neurodiverse children, boundaries, self-care and identity in motherhood, pelvic floor health and much more. Each event presenter is an expert in their respective field.
“Motherhood is wonderful, and it is also really hard. It’s a journey, a rollercoaster. By sharing, connecting and validating that motherhood is both wonderful and challenging, maybe we can reduce that isolation and help people feel more connected and supported,” Rachel says.
“I hope Colours of Motherhood will help other mums also feel validated in their experiences of parenting.”
The Colours of Motherhood exhibition launch event takes place on Sunday 20 October from 3 to 5 pm at Thames St Studio, 29B Thames Street, West Wollongong. The exhibition and events will then run until Friday 25 October, and tickets are now available via Scribbly Gum Photography.
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