MOTHEROTHER

Hannah Cooke is a conceptual artist who lives and works in Germany. Central questions of her work concern the concepts of institutional and hierarchical critique, the infiltration of systems, as well as the questioning of standards, regulations, and role concepts. In a humorous manner she questions well established power structures and reveals the characteristics of the art world. In 2022 she received the prestigious MO Kunstpreis awarded by Museum Ostwall, with her video works "Ada vs. Emin" and "Ada vs. Abramovic" gaining work international recognition.

Katie Cuddon is an artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne where she is also a Reader in Fine Art at Newcastle University. Katie has been making sculptures, mostly with clay, for nearly 20 years. Her work develops expressively and instinctively in a studio practice that explores psychological representations of the human body and the intimate interpenetration of art and life. Katie studied at Glasgow School of Art and then The Royal College of Art. Katie’s solo exhibitions include A is for Alma, Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne (2024); Night Portraits, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea (2023); Spanish Lobe, Camden Arts Centre (2011) and Pontoon Lip, a collaborative exhibition with Celia Hempton at Cell Projects (2014).

Sue Loughlin is the founder of MOTHEROTHER, a project which arose from her frustrations as a mother returning to her Fine Art practice after an extended period away from the artworld. Through MOTHEROTHER Sue hopes to provide mutual support for other artists experiencing similar issues and evolve a way of working through the unfavourable climate created for artist with caregiving roles. Sue's practice is rooted in installation, sculpture and painting, and encompasses education, social engagement, curation and production. Her work is motivated by the shifting political, ideological, and socio-economic landscape, as viewed through the lens of a mother of two girls.

Sarah Maple is a multidisciplinary artist known for bold artworks that challenge notions of identity, religion, and feminism. Her work spans a variety of media such as performance, painting, installation, collage, and photography. Much of Maple's inspiration originates from her mixed religious and cultural upbringing as a British-Punjabi. She graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Kingston University and has exhibited her work internationally at galleries and institutions including Tate Britain, Golden Thread Gallery, and York Art Gallery. Her work is in collections such as Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and The Hyman Collection; and in 2023, Sarah released a book ‘Labour of Love’ with KochxBos publishing.

Lauren McLaughlin is an artist, curator, writer and arts activist based in the North East of Scotland. Lauren is also the founder and director of Spilt Milk Gallery; a social enterprise whose mission is to support the work of artists who identify as mothers. Her practice is rooted in a desire to represent the undervalued and overlooked experiences of mothering, caregiving and gendered work through a feminist lens. Lauren graduated with BA (Hons) Fine Art from Central Saint Martins in 2012, and MA Applied Arts & Social Practice from Queen Margaret University Edinburgh in 2021. Lauren’s work has been exhibited throughout the UK and Europe including at the Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh, The Whitworth Manchester, Lights of Soho London, and Palazzo Albrizi Venice.

Kübra Müjde is an artist and arts educator based in the UK. Kübra grew up in southeastern Turkey, studied fine arts in Şanlıurfa, Bolu, and Istanbul. She is currently completing a PhD at Yeditepe University and is passionate about working with children from diverse cultural backgrounds. She developed Qbicart in 2017 as a mobile art school, providing online and face-to-face workshops to individuals around the world.

Sara Qaed is a UK-based artist from Bahrain. She is a mother, Illustrator, and Social Artist. Her works encompass various mediums including collaborative drawing, experimental animation, collage, wearable pieces, editorial cartoons, and things in between. With a strong sense of social and political criticism, her works explore the language of drawing as a daily practice to document and archive news with a sense of black humour. Her cartoons are displayed on multiple platforms such as, Al-Hudood Satirical News Website, Roman Cultural Magazine, and Tanween Media. In 2019, Sara won Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought for caricature and Mahmoud Khuhail award for Editorial Cartoons.Her latest work can be seen as part of Khaleejesque Magazine “DIY: Fear Print” (2019), New Writing North (2020) and “Windows” project with Art Diamond members in Gateshead (2021).

Kate Sweeney produces drawing, animation, video and writing to explore how familial bonds are formed beyond the materials and myths of blood and DNA. She draws upon her feminist and queer activism and discourse surrounding queer kinship and LGBT+ history. Her practice is often located around archives, libraries and other sites of cultural repository and memory as well as shaped by her lived experiences. Her recent drawings were completed as part of a residency with D6: Culture in Transit and the National Trust. Her artist’s book, ‘the wings of a moth without the moth-bit in between’ was commissioned by the Women Artists of the North East Library in 2023. Her video works have screened nationally and internationally including Barcelona Short Film Festival, Sydney LGBT+ Film Festival, Manchester Animation Festival, Zebra Film Festival Berlin, AnimaTricks Helsinki.