"Good Mother, Bad Mother": Louise Bourgeois Lecture | Brisbane
This lecture explores the life and artistic practice of Louise Bourgeois, one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, through the lens of motherhood.
Part of the Great Women in Art lecture series at Creative Room Art Space in West End, Brisbane, this session invites a deeper look into how personal experience, memory, and relationships shaped Bourgeois’ work.
“Good Mother, Bad Mother” focuses on the complex and often contradictory role of motherhood in Bourgeois’ life and art.
Her practice is deeply autobiographical, drawing on childhood memories, family dynamics, and emotional states. Motherhood appears in her work not as a fixed identity, but as a shifting psychological and symbolic space — nurturing, protective, destructive, and unresolved.
Through key works, themes, and biographical context, this lecture considers how Bourgeois transformed personal experience into a powerful and enduring artistic language.
This is a lecture and discussion format, designed for both newcomers and those with an interest in contemporary and modern art.
The session is held alongside the current exhibition by Ksenia Kirkbride, creating a dialogue between historical and contemporary artistic practices.
When: Saturday, 2 May 2026
Time: 12:00pm–2:00pm
Venue: Creative Room Art Studio
Address: 15 Dornoch Terrace, West End, QLD, 4101
Join us for an in-depth conversation on one of the most compelling artistic voices of the twentieth century.
Refreshments will be available, including tea, coffee and biscuits.
Image: “Mamá” by _iBaNe_, CC BY-ND 2.0