Artist Statement
I wanted to depict that expectant mothers from any region in Canada no matter how distant, rural, or urban it may be deserve the right to have the best access to care for themselves and their babies. I have represented mothers from different races and minorities like Indigenous groups to demonstrate the different backgrounds and cultures of people living in Canada who must all be treated with the same respect and quality of care. I also wanted to create the effect of showing mothers from all different walks of life, age, socioeconomic status, etc. to advocate that no one should ever feel judged or discriminated against in terms of the care they receive based on their life circumstances. Overall, I hope my artwork illustrates that the range of differences in geographical location, ethnicity, and the personal choice of a home or hospital birth should not be a barrier or hinder the quality of care or respect that a mother and her baby receive.
In addition, I have added a collage with printed research papers that discuss various issues and factors that influence the safety and quality of care of mothers and babies. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, these include socioeconomic status, the amount of family support, food insecurity, culturally insensitive care or lack of respect for distinct needs, and access to psychological help during and after pregnancy. This collage borders the outline of the Canadian map and it is meant to appear as though it is being ripped away to symbolize that we as a society have the potential to solve and eliminate such inequities to ensure that all mothers and babies in Canada have access to a high quality of healthcare that is sensitive to and deeply respects their unique needs. The overall goal of this piece is to educate people on the existing inequalities in maternal healthcare with the aim of “peeling” apart the problems mentioned in the collage and inspiring and advocating for positive action to be taken to remove such issues from the Canadian healthcare system.
For more information on the research papers and content used in the artwork collage to represent the challenges to maternal care, please take a look at these links:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3470492/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31047831/
https://diversityhealthcare.imedpub.com/canadian-indigenous-womens-pers…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6211437/
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.02526…
Biography
Niha Burugapalli is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto. She has been interested in visual art from a young age and strongly believes in the power of art in activism and the potential it provides for healing and connection. Her artwork has been displayed at the US Capitol building and has been featured in several juried art exhibitions and galleries. She finds a lot of meaning and joy in spreading her love for art by teaching painting workshops in hospitals and senior homes. As a co-founder of the EmpowART Foundation, she hopes to encourage more youth to get involved in volunteering and help increase the use of art as a healing and therapeutic tool across hospitals and long-term care homes in Canada. Please visit https://empowartfoundation.org/ for more information on how to join and help promote art in the recovery and healing process.
