This is Also Motherhood: new exhibition from the MMHA and Carolyn Mendelsohn

Press release

• A new exhibition reveals the hidden realities of motherhood and maternal mental health through portrait photography, still life, and audio created by artist Carolyn Mendelsohn in collaboration with 10 women with lived experience.

• Produced by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, the exhibition raises awareness of perinatal mental illness and offers hope that recovery is possible.

• This is Also Motherhood: Portraits of mental health, strength and survival will be open to the public on 14, 17 and 18 November 2025 at Phillips, London.

A powerful new exhibition produced by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) will open at Phillips, London this week, shining a light on the often-overlooked realities of motherhood and mental health.

This is Also Motherhood: Portraits of mental health, strength and survival brings together intimate portraits and still life photographs by acclaimed artist Carolyn Mendelsohn, created with 10 women who have experienced a range of perinatal mental health conditions. Visitors will also be able to hear participants’ stories in their own words through linked audio interviews.

Alongside these portraits, a crowdsourced wall of images submitted by mums and dads from across the UK will depict the unfiltered realities of pregnancy and parenthood - joy, despair, and everything in between - highlighting the diversity of experiences and the truth that mental health struggles can also be part of the journey to parenthood.

Awareness of postnatal depression has grown in the last decade, but this exhibition will explore conditions and experiences that are rarely discussed openly, including:

• intrusive thoughts and perinatal OCD
• hyperemesis gravidarum and its mental health toll
• postpartum psychosis
• baby loss and complex fertility journeys
• antenatal mental health problems (during pregnancy)
• young motherhood and suicidality
• perinatal eating disorders
• birth trauma and injury
• queer motherhood and mental health
• the impact of neurodiversity on pregnancy and parenthood.

Perinatal mental illnesses affect as many as 1 in 4 women and birthing people, and 1 in 10 dads and non-birthing partners. Left untreated, they can be devastating and even deadly; with suicide persistently the leading cause of death between six weeks and a year after pregnancy in the UK. Yet with the right support at the right time, recovery is possible.

Carolyn Mendelsohn, says: “I feel so honoured to have worked with these extraordinary women, who shared their stories with such honesty and courage. This commission gave me a rare chance, as an artist, to reflect on my own lived experience too. More than anything, I hope these portraits help open conversations, so others feel heard, supported, and know they’re not alone.”

Nikki Wilson, CEO of the MMHA, says: “We want this exhibition to be a reminder that while mental illness can be part of the journey to becoming a parent, it should never be a source of shame. The MMHA is immensely grateful to the ten women who shared their experiences with such openness. Their stories have the power to comfort parents who see themselves reflected and to challenge the silence that too often surrounds mental health struggles during and after pregnancy.”

Tessa van der Vord, project participant, says: “Taking part in this exhibition was both emotional and healing. As a midwife and woman who has lost a baby, I know how often these conversations are treated as taboo or kept in the shadows. The photoshoot gave me space to reflect on my own experience, reconnect with tangible memories of my baby, and help me feel close to him again. We need to break the silence and honour every story, which is exactly what ‘This is Also Motherhood’ is doing.”

The exhibition is part of the MMHA’s mission to raise awareness of perinatal mental illness and ensure that anyone affected has access to high-quality, compassionate care.

Following its London debut, This is Also Motherhood hopes to tour the UK and will continue through a dedicated microsite and book, featuring contributions from Louise Thompson, Amy Hart and Dr Punam Krishan, and more famous names. Proceeds from book sales will directly support the MMHA’s changemaking work.