The Matriarch, Huang Lu D’s one-woman show at the Art in the Atrium gallery, presents a series of acrylic paintings depicting female figures with babies and delving into the complex relationships between mothers and infants.
In her statement, Lu D recounts how from 2014 to 2016 she worked as a photographer at three New York City hospitals, taking photographs of mothers and babies and encountering families from diverse backgrounds. Ultimately, she took over 9,000 of these photos.
She indicates that “these experiences reshaped [her] understanding of childbirth, leading [her] to see mothers as vessels carrying forward an ancient code of life.” In the exhibition, Lu D explores the notion of a primal force of nature which produces and protects the thread of life.
Her paintings, full of lush colors, offer multiple views of female figures and babies. In one work, we see a woman holding two babies. Five other babies appear nearby in vegetation, melting into a nature scene. In another painting, a woman holds two babies while balancing two others on her knees.
And there’s an imaginative painting emphasizing blue hues and portraying a female figure with webbed feet and wings. In a phone interview, Huang said the figure is based on an Asian goddess. Moreover, a wheel design appears in the painting’s right-hand corner, seeming to reference the cycle of life and rebirth.
Other paintings document the variety that’s inherent in the series. In one instance, a female is seen with two babies as she reaches out to a tree. Perhaps she seeks connection or nourishment. “Into the Woods,” meanwhile, shows a woman interacting with two babies, one of whom suckles her right breast. Behind her, a moon shines through an opening in a tree. This is an acrylic painting made with burlap and paper.
In addition, another painting presents five babies and two adults, a mother figure and an elderly male. The two of them seem to converse. Like any work of art, it’s subject to a viewer’s interpretation.
Various works showcase the artist’s daring use of color. A vibrant shade of green illuminates one painting. In a large artwork, one of the few abstract pieces in the exhibition, streams of gold and green dominate.
This exhibit is devoted entirely to the Matriarch series. However, Lu D has created a range of other paintings. “Seasons of the Southern Tier” depicts scenes from upstate New York—barns, fields and forests.
Another series, “Long Island Sounds,” portrays landscapes and buildings, both houses and small-business exteriors. In “Underworld Floral,” the artist captures plants and flowers in fine detail.
The Matriarch was on view at Art in the Atrium until Saturday, May 9, providing a meditation on motherhood just in time for Mother’s Day.
The gallery, which is administered by CNY Arts, is also hosting a group exhibition featuring works by members of the CNY Watercolor Society, up through May 17.
About the Author
Carl Mellor covered visual arts for the Syracuse New Times from 1994 through 2019. He writes reviews and artist profiles for CNY Arts as a community partner.
