Lizzie McLoughlin: Manchester Birth Stories

HOME’s Manchester Open prize winner, Lizzie McLoughlin presents a brand-new exhibition depicting birth stories from Greater Manchester. 

HOME’s Manchester Open Prize Winner, Lizzie McLoughlin presents a brand-new exhibition depicting birth stories from Manchester.

Inspired by the raw emotion of birth and her experience as an infant feeding specialist in the NHS, Lizzie captures these moments of resilience with sensitivity and care through watercolour and oil paintings.

Her paintings reveal the unspoken, often hidden emotions of birth, reflecting the powerful bond between women/gestational parents and their babies and hoping to dispel some of the myth and fear surrounding birth.  

This exhibition delves into the complex experiences associated with birth, the transformative  journey into parenthood and creates a powerful platform for women to reclaim their birth stories.

Lizzie’s work creates a space that resonates with those who have experienced birth and invites others to appreciate realistic portrayals of what it is to give life.

Her paintings connect us all through the universal experience of our origin, inviting us to reflect on the complexities and intimacy of bringing new life into the world and hear the stories told by the people of Manchester (headphones recommended).

Please note, you can access the audio links to listen to all the birth stories via this link, alongside images and the accompanied text to all artworks.

About Lizzie McLoughlin 

Lizzie McLoughlin is a neurodivergent  painter and infant feeding specialist in the NHS, she explores the complexity of human emotions, pregnancy, breastfeeding/chest feeding, birth and beyond through portraiture. Lizzie McLoughlin received the Granada Foundation Gallery Exhibition Award at the Manchester Open in 2024. Lizzie McLoughlin also works as a facilitator and has exhibited work at Bury Art Fest and Manchester Art Gallery. 

Head to Lizzie McLoughlin’s website to find more info -  https://lizziemac.co.uk/  

Lizzie McLoughlin received the Granada Foundation Gallery Exhibition Award at the Manchester Open Awards in 2024 for her work [Here at Last]’. 

This exhibition is supported by: