The Art of Motherhood
'Mother and child with cats,' by Eduard Meyerheim. Around 1900. Oil on canvas. Source: invaluable.com.
Dear participants in the “Art of Motherhood” competition, thank you for your thoughtful and valued contributions.
We were truly touched by your engagement and creativity. The quality of the submissions was remarkable and made the selection process both exciting and genuinely challenging for our team.
We are pleased to announce the winners:
1. Ghaliah Saleh
2. Al-Anoud Al-Amoudi
3. Fatima Janahi
4. Ayman Anan
5. Wejood Al-Romaih
6. Jenya Gashimova
7. Reem Al-Qahtani
8. Noura Al-Ashwali
9. Fatima Al-Zahra Karim
10. Anne Berthet
It means so much to see your creativity and dedication, and we’re happy to share a selection of works that truly stood out.
We also welcome one of our first written submissions, a winning essay by Lubna Al Ghamdi, that we hope you enjoy. We will be launching essay competitions in the near future, where we would love to see some more of your creativity shine through. Click here to read more.
Thank you to everyone who shared their passion and talent with Ithraeyat. And if you couldn’t take part this time, don’t worry, there will be more chances ahead to join us and share your passion.
Kind regards,
The Ithraeyat Editorial Team
The painting captures a timeless moment of motherhood, where a mother’s fingertips become a symbol of care and tenderness, weaving safety and warmth into the heart of her child. It expresses the quiet love that accompanies every moment of the child’s growth and presence.
Tender Fingers
Footsteps Behind a Mother’s Shadow
Motherhood
Inspired by the style of Gustav Klimt, this piece shows motherhood as a timeless symbol of love and protection. Gentle circular patterns and soft touches of gold surround the mother and child, creating a feeling of warmth and closeness. The faces remain natural and real, reminding us that true emotion is at the heart of work and that a mother’s embrace is where life begins and where we first learn what safety feels like.
The Embrace of Life
This mosaic, Motherhood, reflects the beauty of the first and most honest human bond, the bond between a mother and her child. In this work, hard stones are transformed into something soft in meaning, speaking quietly of love, care, and lasting connection.
Created using the stone mosaic technique, the piece is made from more than 15,000 tiny pieces of natural and semi-precious stones. Each one was carefully hand-cut, ranging from 0.5 mm to 2 mm, and placed with patience and precision. The result is a rich surface with gentle shifts in color and texture that invites the viewer to look closer.
The turquoise background surrounds the figures like a protective space. Known for symbolizing calm, purity, and protection, the stone reflects the idea of motherhood as a safe refuge, a place of comfort and inner peace.
The mosaic was built slowly, piece by piece, much like the relationship between a mother and her child, formed over time, shaped by care, and strengthened through attention to detail. The strength of stone meets the softness of feeling, reminding us that motherhood is not fragile; it is enduring.
Completed in 2024, this work combines craftsmanship with heartfelt meaning, making it a piece that speaks both to the eye and to the soul.
Motherhood | 2024
The painting captures the gentle passing of inspiration from one person to another through love and closeness. Here, passion is not forced or demanded; it is offered freely, like a warm human legacy. It grows naturally in an atmosphere of care, trust, and nurturing.
Inheriting Inspiration
This piece explores motherhood as a living exchange between memory and becoming. Created primarily by hand on paper, the work carries visible texture and movement, reinforcing its emotional sincerity.
This piece tells the story of a mother and child bound by an invisible thread. Inspired by the legend of the red thread of fate, it speaks of protection, devotion, and enduring love. The maternal bond stretches across the canvas like a fragile line that cannot be cut by distance or time. It protects, yet sometimes blinds, softening our sight and allowing us to overlook small imperfections and missteps.
Bound by the Red Thread
They say Paradise lies at the feet of mothers, but I saw it in my mother’s hand. In a small, everyday moment, one that no camera would think to capture, there was something that held a lifetime of meaning.
This painting tries to keep that moment alive: the way my mother gives quietly and generously, seed by seed, not knowing that she is creating a love that will stay forever.
Pomegranate of Paradise
Digital Painting
My comic explores the feeling of maternal hypervigilance and how silence can feel more alarming than noise. It reflects the steady rhythm of care that never truly rests, showing that a mother’s watchfulness becomes most visible in the quiet moments, when the world seems still.
The Silent Alarm
Hala Farwana
Eternal Blossom
Lamees Al-Gain
Sitto
Rym Al-Shkyly
Azza Darandari
Maab El-Zain
Fatima Al Matar
This piece was created in a mosaic style, using eggshells arranged on a circular plate measuring one meter by one meter. Through this delicate material, the work expresses a mother’s embrace and the way she cares for her children, a sacred bond we are born into, a relationship unlike any other.
Ruqaya Ismail
Sharing and Creating Memories
Dania Osama Obaid
My Mother, My Companion on the Journey
This painting tells the story of a lifetime. A young woman stands in her graduation gown, smiling for a quick phone photo. It looks like a simple moment — but it holds a shared triumph.
Behind her is a wall of memories: her first cry as a baby, her small, unsteady steps held by her mother’s hand, the long nights of studying and quiet encouragement. Each image in the background helped build this very day.
The painting is more than a graduation scene. It is a heartfelt thank you to the one who stood quietly behind every achievement. It reminds us that motherhood is not just where life begins, it is the steady presence that walks beside us through every stage of the journey.
Ceren Degirmenci
Ceren graduated from Avni Akyol Fine Arts High School in Istanbul, Turkey, and in 2013 earned her degree as a Fine Arts Teacher.
While completing her undergraduate studies, she joined the Erasmus+ program and spent six months studying at the University of the Arts in Linz, Austria; an experience that enriched her artistic journey.
In 2017, she received her Master of Fine Arts from Doğuş University, Institute of Social Sciences, in Istanbul. Her thesis explored the field of Islamic art.
From 2013 to 2015, she worked as a Fine Arts Teacher in Turkey. Since 2015, she has been based in Saudi Arabia, living for several years in Ras Tanura before moving to Dhahran.
Alongside her artistic career, she is a mother to a young son. Today, she continues her studio practice while teaching art.
‘Unconditional Love,’ by Ceren Degirmenci. Courtesy of the artist.
A quiet, intimate moment between a mother and her newborn son, capturing the tenderness, protection, and unconditional love that marks the very beginning of life.
‘Melodies of the Orient,’ by Ceren Degirmenci. Courtesy of the artist.
A vibrant celebration of culture, music, and mentorship, the painting depicts two figures in ornate garments, engrossed in the act of playing a traditional stringed instrument.
