Erana James, Whāia te hauora hinengaro kia puāwai ai te hauora tangata

Description

Graphite on raw timber  200 x 300 mm

After being diagnosed with post-natal depression following the birth of two of my tamariki and the challenges I faced in a space where I felt there was no light at the end of tunnel, this body of work represents the dark cycle you go through as a new māmā. From losing your identity, to the challenges of breastfeeding, to the battle of depression, the grief of the relationships you once had with your partner, whānau, friends and tamariki, to then finding a new version of yourself. All it takes is for one person to ask “E pēhea ana tō ngākau i tēnei wā?” – “how are you at this time?”