Art & Motherhood with Victoria O’May
Victoria O’May is a Brazilian born art director, artist, and graphic designer living in Basque Country.
In this conversation, she brings us along into her creative world, where art and motherhood intersect — vying for her attention, feeding each other, and shedding light on what it means to navigate the balancing act that is parenthood and pursuing one’s passion.
Website: www.victoriaomayalves.com
Instagram: @victoriaomaystudio
O: Pregnancy and motherhood seems to play an important role in your work. How did that come to be?
V: My artwork is intimately related to my personal life and the things I care about, so when I became pregnant, motherhood found its way onto the paper. It was not a topic I thought too much about before I became a mother myself, to be honest. But since then, it’s like a light bulb went on in my head and I can see how fundamental this journey is to all of us. After all, we all have been born. It’s time motherhood is talked about more openly in the arts, especially from the perspective of artist mothers.
My choice of material is also influenced by motherhood. I have a home studio, so I naturally gravitate towards domestic and easy-to-find materials such as paper, thread, and coloured pencils.
“It’s time motherhood is talked about more openly in the arts, especially from the perspective of artist mothers.”
OOMA: How did you begin illustrating and creating art prints?
Victoria: As a graphic designer and an art director, I’m always working with images, but before that I often drew as a child and as a teenager. Creativity is something I’m used to harnessing for my clients but I also felt the need to have a space where I could create for myself. Some of my works become a series of prints or originals—and others go straight to the bin! I find that my artwork informs my design work and vice versa, which I find very enriching and energizing.
O: What have you learned about yourself through your journey in motherhood and in art? What have you gained, and maybe what have you lost, if anything?
V: I learned to carve out space for art and include my daughter in it. Seeing that both worlds can coexist and enrich each other is something central to my practice now.
Would I like to have more uninterrupted time to create? Of course, I’d love to. I want to go on artistic residencies, talks, and art openings, and have late-night conversations about art, creativity, design and all the things. But now… now I’m in a different chapter of my life. My daughter is teaching me to be present and enjoy things as they are. Seeing her grow up is wonderful, inspiring, challenging, and surprising at times. My most important work is to raise her and try to be the best mother I possibly can.
“Would I like to have more uninterrupted time to create? Of course, I’d love to. I want to go on artistic residencies, talks and art openings, and have late-night conversations about art, creativity, design and all the things. But now...now I’m in a different chapter. My daughter is teaching me to be present and enjoy things as they are. Seeing her grow up is wonderful, inspiring, and even challenging at times. My most important work is to raise her and try to be the best mother I possibly can. ”
O: For women going through pregnancy or postpartum right now, is there anything you hope your work offers them?
V: Every journey in motherhood is different. I have a piece called Motherland, and it's about how we inhabit and experience motherhood in different ways within our own inner landscapes. I’d love for my work to offer women a generous and expansive view of this chapter in their lives — a chapter that is intense but very fleeting. I want them to feel proud of what their bodies can do, especially as a part of a lineage of women going back thousands of years. That thought always made me feel very powerful during pregnancy and postpartum, and still does. The Illustration ‘River’ (below) is about this generational strength and unity.
“I’d love for my work to offer them a generous and expansive view of this chapter in their lives, that is intense but very fleeting... I want them to feel proud of what their bodies can do as part of a lineage of women, going back millions of years. That thought always made me feel very powerful during pregnancy and postpartum, and still does.”
O: What is one of your favorite artworks, and why?
V: Oh, hard to say… I like them for different reasons. I’m currently working on a series that celebrates life’s non-linear paths. It speaks to a lot of my life choices. It’s colourful and meditative to make. I’m using coloured pencils and sometimes I draw the pieces side by side with my daughter, which in itself brings a lot of joy and meaning to the work.
O: If you could share some words of wisdom with your younger self about pregnancy, motherhood, art, and everything in between, what would you say?
V: Trust your body. It is wise in ways that go beyond our minds.
Don’t be afraid of change. Embrace the fact that life is movement.
O: Is there anything your mother and/or grandmother taught you that impacts your work, the way you see the world, and the way you mother today?
V: My mother and grandmothers were all very strong women, but in different ways. This was reassuring to see growing up, especially as a girl, and now a mother to my daughter. My mother especially showed me the importance of friendships. And this is something I am very grateful for in adult life with kids, when our friendships tend to take a backseat. I think they are incredibly important for our well-being and sense of self. The family we choose, right? So I do my best to nurture them. It’s not always easy as many of my friends live miles —if not an ocean — away, but one does what one can! I hope this is something my daughter brings into her life too.
“ My mother especially showed me the importance of friendships. And this is something I am very grateful for in adult life with kids, when our friendships tend to take a backseat. I think they are incredibly important for our well-being and sense of self. ”
Thanks for reading OOMA’s Her Story Series! If you like Victoria’s work as much as we do, you can purchase one of her cards via the OOMA store. And if you’re interested in more stories like Victoria’s, follow us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page.