"Cattara"
"Cattara"
24"x 30"
Oil on canvas
2026
This painting is part of my series “Childless Cat Ladies”
Motherhood is often framed as a biological or gendered role, but its deeper identity lives in the act of nurturing and is not confined to one body or experience. To mother is to hold space, to guide, to protect, to create safety and possibility for others. This energy exists across gender identities, embodied by people who move beyond traditional definitions of womanhood and into a more inclusive, evolving understanding of care. It also lives in those who do not have children, but offer care to their community, including animals. In this way, the identity of “mother” becomes less about reproduction and more about relation. It’s an intentional practice of love, responsibility, and presence that resists narrow cultural expectations and instead reflects the full spectrum of human connection.
Did you know? Several U.S. states (including Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee, and South Dakota) have passed laws allowing adoption and foster care agencies to refuse services to LGBTQ+ couples and individuals, which prioritizes religious beliefs over the best interests of children in need of homes. Estimates show over 1.2 million children are homeless, with some data suggesting up to 2.5 million children experience homelessness annually including infants born into it. Yet our government calls women without children “miserable childless cat ladies”, wants to ban abortions, and cuts funding for kids who need food and shelter.
