Weiting Wei’s exhibition Motherhood takes as its starting point the artist’s experience as a mother and caregiver. The expository materials and placards throughout the gallery are explicit in this regard. They make clear Wei’s intentions, motivations, and backstories relative to the work. From this individual perspective, Motherhood is an exhibition that is strikingly personal, often literal, and unflinchingly vulnerable.
At the same time, caregiving is a role that many people are well acquainted with. Whether it be children of our own, siblings, older family members, or parents, the provision of care is a fact of life that many are required to navigate. That reality expands the reach of Wei’s work even further, inviting viewers to reflect not just on the artist’s interpretation of what it means to be a mother and a caregiver, but to reflect on their own experiences too. And make no mistake, these are works that are ripe for reflection and interpretation.
A thread running through all of Motherhood is pattern; pattern and repetition. Using polymer clay, paper, and porcelain, Wei builds largely monochromatic sculptural surfaces that echo patterns from nature on a scale that’s astonishing in its intricacy. These are works that are meticulous, cared for, and made possible through what must amount to incalculable patience. In that way they invoke exactly those small, repetitive tasks that compromise many of the routines of caregiving. These are tasks that might go unnoticed or underappreciated, but ultimately build to something invaluable.
Wei mentions the desire to find her own “flow” in this body of work. It’s easy to see how that might happen. There’s something almost hypnotic in both the repetition and scale on display here. If there is work to become lost in, it would be in work exactly like this.
Another concept that Wei explores in Motherhood is nurturing and growth. Many of the pieces on view bring to mind the smallest and most elemental parts of the natural world; cells, cilium, stems, and seeds. The overall effect is an almost palpable sense of germination and generation. The room fairly hums with life, as if the pieces themselves might begin to sprout and bloom at any moment.
Given the premise of the exhibition, it’s not surprising that the idea of protection comes up often. Seeds and seed pods feature prominently in many of the works, as do small spheres ensconced in protective skins. More literally, Lost and Lotus Baby both include tiny figures of babies nestled serenely within delicate sculptural folds. Armor references protection even more explicitly, alluding to the artist’s desire to shield not just those she’s charged with caring for, but herself as well.
Motherhood is hard. Caregiving is hard. This is perhaps more true now than ever. Add to that all the cultural admonitions to stay strong, stay on task, and give all you can and it’s easy to see where cracks and fault lines can occur. It’s in this environment that Motherhood offers the compelling reminder that we are each of us only human, and while we might struggle, we can still afford ourselves the chance to slow down, find flow in the process of our tasks and appreciate the small details along the way.
Motherhood is on view at the Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington, 777 Evening St., through March 16, 2023. For more information, visit mcconnellarts.org/weiting-wei-motherhood.
All photos by Jeff Regensburger