Mother Birds, collage, 2024-25

Female bodies sourced from vintage erotic magazines—once staged for desire—are interrupted and overtaken by images of birds’ nests. The bird imagery does not decorate the body; it overtakes it, creating a displacement of the original gaze. These bodies are no longer offered up for consumption in the same way, yet they are not fully reclaimed either.

Perfected bodies contrast with the vulnerability, vigilance, and labour of nesting birds. Rather than depicting motherhood directly, the works displace it, allowing animal behaviour to speak for human experience, as birds’ alert eyes and defensive postures subtly mirror human vulnerability.