CATTLE
This elegant yet explosive new art collection explores the question:
How does motherhood liberate and oppress?
Under Mother’s Skirt
An exhibition exploring female identity by CMO-turned artist Thecla Schaeffer
Motherhood (A), Motherhood (B), Motherhood (C)
What does it mean to mother in a world that both celebrates and shackles you? Former G-Star and Tony’s Chocolonely CMO-turned-artist Thecla Schaeffer confronts this question in CATTLE (MOTHERHOOD), her latest exhibition opening at Amsterdam’s de Vrije Academie. In a post-Trump political landscape the societal expectation of the female gender role, culminating in saint-like motherhood, has never felt more sinful. From the vision and experience of a career woman in a corporate ‘man’s world’, Schaeffer interrogates the systemic oppressions which extend to domestic life and motherhood, while simultaneously celebrating female resilience and joy through her signature use of colour.
Building on themes she introduced in her debut show, CATTLE, this new exhibition shifts focus to visualising the lived experience of mothers. Combining digital works with physical forms—including paintings, sculptures, and light installations — CATTLE (MOTHERHOOD) uses modern interpretations of the Madonna and child to question hypocritical societal expectations placed on mothers. If ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ then demanding that women return to traditional roles, as well as bear the financial, emotional, and logistical burdens of parenthood is too heavy a burden.
Motherhood (A)
“The hypocrisy I experienced as a mother post-divorce—judged for working full-time while being expected to ‘do it all’—fuels much of the anger in my work,”
Schaeffer explains. “Yet, even within that anger, the fierce, protective love of motherhood endures. It is this duality I want people to feel.”
At the heart of the show is a recurring female figure, constructed from layered doll-like elements and brought to life through expressive, almost choreographic poses. A more naturalistic colour palette—departing from the overtly bold, pop-art tones of her earlier works—reveals vulnerability, love, anger, and liberation in raw, visceral ways.
But the work isn’t just about the individual—it’s about a broader reckoning. Some pieces implicate society at large, showing the collective indifference that perpetuates the oppression of women.
The Mother (CATTLE)
It’s none of our business (L)
Shadow work - falling
Schaeffer’s decision to reject traditional techniques—she calls it “technique-free” art—stems from her own defiance of patriarchal ideals. “A male artist once told me I needed 10,000 hours of practice to be good enough,” she recalls.
“That notion—that women should dedicate decades of uninterrupted time to achieve mastery—completely ignores the realities of caregiving, work, and societal expectations. So I freed myself from it. I work how I want, with whatever materials I choose. For me, liberation is the art.”
It’s none of our business (S)
The exhibition’s significance extends beyond personal storytelling. In an art world where less than 14% of living artists represented by galleries are women—and where over 85% of museum collections are dominated by white men—Schaeffer’s work is a rallying cry for female voices. In today’s cultural climate, marked by the erosion of bodily autonomy and women’s rights, her art arrives as both a critique and a call to action.
“Art is a powerful way for women to reclaim their narratives,” Schaeffer asserts. “I hope this exhibition inspires conversations that stretch far beyond the gallery walls.”
CATTLE (MOTHERHOOD) runs from 3 –16 February 2025 at
Vrije Academie, Herengracht 368, Amsterdam.
Open daily from 10.00-17.00 until February 16, free entry.
Photo credits: Lesley Weitjes
Thecla Schaeffer
It’s none of our business (L)
Shadow work - falling
Panting
I’m going to wash that my right out of my hair (A)
