Exhibition celebrating 'unbridled messiness' of womanhood opens in Canberra

A major exhibition exploring the complexities of womanhood has opened at Canberra's National Portrait Gallery. Titled Mother Maiden Crone, the show features almost 70 works by internationally renowned artists Del Kathryn Barton, Emily Hunt, and Jess Johnson. Spanning from May 2027, the exhibition delves into themes of magic, witchcraft, ancient rituals, and unbridled sexuality, creating a cacophony of disruptive female energy.

The three artists, each with their distinctive styles, have collaborated for the first time in this exhibition. Barton, a two-time Archibald Prize winner, inspired Hunt, whose practice incorporates magic and folklore. Johnson contributes with her colourful, geometric style that showcases a science fiction-inspired world.

The exhibition is a blend of intricate and intimate, as well as maximalist and expansive, presenting a wide range of artistic mediums such as drawing, painting, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, and video. Despite the diverse techniques, each artist maintains a unique visual language. Barton's works often explore the figure of the crone, a symbol of wisdom and power, while Hunt focuses on the question of magic, and Johnson presents archetypes from history and mythology in a modern context.

Gallery director Bree Pickering emphasizes the exhibition's exploration of inherited roles of womanhood and the dismantling of contradictions that shape both lived and imagined experiences of womanhood. Hunt hopes visitors will approach the exhibition with an open mind, as magic and feminine ornamentation are not for everyone. However, she believes the exhibition's powerful and generous nature will evoke strong reactions from those who engage with it. The Mother Maiden Crone exhibition is open until May 2027 at the National Portrait Gallery.