"Villageless" Liz Darling

Villageless from the Mom Guilt series, 2024

Oil on panel

12 x 24”

$525.00

The Mom Guilt series examine the “beasts” of self-doubt, anxiety, and cultural expectations that can quietly but pervasively color the experience of parenting. The questions at the heart of the work are the kind of visceral, intrusive thoughts that can feel monstrous: Am I doing enough? Will my child thrive because of me or in spite of me? Was it the right decision to take on the overwhelmingly difficult task of raising a child at all?

The series of work highlight hands as symbols of care, juxtaposed with the womb space in positions that convey frustration, anxiety, shame, and exhaustion. Villageless seeks to give voice to these often-silenced experiences within a society that places immense expectations on parents - especially mothers - while offering little structural support.