Artists launch Scars of Beauty exhibition prep to help with birth trauma

When baby Logan arrived recently she lost two litres of blood in 15 minutes.

"I did everything to prevent it and it still managed to hit me again," Emma said.

She is reaching out to others through art and community after secondary postpartum hemorrhages during separate births.

Emma experiences might be among the rarer challenges parents can face but in many ways they are far from unique.

One in three women experience some form of birth trauma. Their partners, children and health professionals are often affected too.

"Trauma is awful, there's no other way to describe it, but from it you get to a stage where a new version of you comes," Emma said.

That truth has inspired her to team up with friend and artist Alicia Huddy for Scars of Beauty, an exhibition focusing on healing for everyone, including new parents and those who have been trying to become them for a while.

"We want to make a safe space where people can connect with that," Alicia said.

"There's a lot of emphasis on this idea of you pushing through, but I think there needs to be more support for people, rather than this idea that you get to the end of it and say 'wow, I've made it'.

"There needs to be spaces where people can connect and support each other, to do it together."

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Emma and Alicia will launch the bright, light and hopeful exhibition and family fun day next February but have already begun reaching out to people who might like to share their stories of healing - or who may want to connect with others on journeys of their own.

They are looking for sponsors who might like to help with family days and other events connected to the exhibition.

"That will help to show people who contribute to the exhibition that whatever they submit is validated and that we are all in," Emma said.

Members of the public are also being invited to a family friendly workshop taking place in November.

They can choose to submit anything they or their family members make at the workshop to February's exhibition.

Those who do decide to exhibit could submit a wide range of pieces, Alicia said.

"People often think these things have to be really polished pieces but it's all about the process," she said.

"It doesn't not need to be a grand painting. It could be as simple as your daughter painting mum's face, and you getting a photo of it, because that's all about connection, helping each other and finding joy in something."

The public workshop takes place on 12 November at the Old Church on the Hill.

For more information email: aliciahuddyart@gmail.com

And if you or someone you know needs support, contact:

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