“Ilaw ng tahanan” is a Filipino idiom that translates to “light of the household,” depicting mothers and their role in each family. Mothers are known as parental figures who bring guidance and warmth into a household, but what is motherhood like? And how does it impact us as individuals? The answers differ for every experience but are worth appreciating our mothers for.
Get to know some FilipinoArt.ph’s artists and how they’ve portrayed motherhood in their art!
Danielle Marie Murilla shares her experience as a single mother of two bright boys through “Batya ni Ina.”
“Motherhood is like “Mamaaa! Mamaaa!” everywhere. Being a single mother can be physically exhausting and mentally draining because you worry about your children, but it is also rewarding when you see them happy.
It’s like riding on a roller coaster where you experience happiness and sadness, comfort and fear; moments when you laugh but then find yourself yelling at them to stop and be careful; moments when you enjoy dreaming for them but can be saddened to realize that they must go their own way and have their own life someday, where they will no longer need you to tie their shoes nor put them to sleep.
“My experience as a mother to my children inspired ‘Batya ni Ina.’ The batya represents a mother’s womb, cradling the children she gave birth to and bathing in her love.”
Napolexander Mina shows through “Young Mother And Child (A Large Skirt To Fill)” that there is more to motherhood than meets the eye.
“While parenthood is a shared responsibility, motherhood is a borne responsibility. As such, the mother plays an immense and pivotal role as the child’s bearer and nurturer. Ultimately, she assumes the vests of the storyteller of the tale called Life.
“In the painting “Young Mother And Child (A Large Skirt To Fill),” the child sleeps obliviously on the taut shoulders of the young mother whose nervous gaze betrays her apprehension in fulfilling her role, ergo, the ill-fitting skirt.
“The painting, thus, is an allegory of the courage in confronting responsibility.”
For Billy Abogadie II his mother’s love is what has stuck with him to this day and what he is grateful for. In his words “Mother’s love is the most unconditional and the purest form of love.”
His artwork “Sunflower for My Mother” was inspired by how “Mother’s unwavering love can go beyond and limits we thought would be possible.”
Sheila Go‘s artistically inclined mother’s inspiration and support have shaped her creativity, offering encouragement and constructive criticism. “Her belief in my abilities, especially when she told me I could achieve anything with determination, has instilled in me the resilience to overcome challenges and persevere,” Sheila said.
Her artwork “Maternus Amor” was made because she gets mesmerized by the strong bond between a mother and her child, formed instinctively from pregnancy to childbirth. She said, “The experience of intense labor fades away when the mother sees her baby for the first time and holds them in her arms. Nurturing a child through your body, from pre-natal to birth, is fascinating as mothers become the sole source of sustenance for this little being who trusts their mother completely.
This bond can also develop and strengthen through adoption, where parents create a deep connection with their adopted child.”
Joel ” JOPAN” Panarigan states, “In my life, my mother is the best I ever had. She is the source of support and encouragement. She has always been there to offer words of encouragement and support during difficult times. She has been a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a source of strength during challenging times.”
He adds, “Looking back, I am grateful for the life lessons my mom taught me and the many sacrifices, resources, and unconditional to ensure her children what they needed.
Jopan has a variation of “Mother and Child” artworks depicting the different forms of bond and love between the two.