It Is True, I Was Created in You: An Art Exhibition and Benefit for Maternal Health

By Tonya S. Wright, MD, FACOG

I am an obstetrician, a Black woman, a mother, and collector of art of the African diaspora. The maternal health crisis in this country disproportionately affects Black women and there is an urgent need for collective action. Maternal mortality has devastating consequences for families and communities in which they live. Additionally, studies show that there is a critical connection between maternal health and the health of an infant and the family at large.

Art has been valued throughout history for its ability to evoke emotion and communicate ideas. From the shifting maternal ideals represented by the Virgin Mary across centuries to the iconography of Yoruba fertility statues, art has historically served as an important reflection of society’s values and beliefs, highlighting social, cultural, and political aspects of the time.

In the fall of 2023, my husband and I hosted It Is True, I Was Created in You, a group art exhibition to celebrate motherhood and bring awareness to Black maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States. The exhibition featured works by 29 international artists who are part of the African diaspora and who have been galvanized by the cause to create unique works that highlighted their artistic expression of motherhood. We were honored to exhibit the works in our home to more than 100 guests, all of them art lovers unified by the desire to affect change.

It Is True, I Was Created in You was the culminating exhibition to highlight the powerful voices of the participating artists. In this vein, Baltimore-based painter, Monica Ikegwu and Barbadian painter Alanis Forde created works that drew from an autobiographical stance that depicts their very own mothers. Ghanaian-British artist Kojo Marfo’s work, Silent Fear, shed light on the fear of the pregnant mother whose biases against the health care system became a barrier to receiving proper care for her and her family. Ashante Kindle used hair clips in her mixed-media work to evoke a sense of maternal nurturing, whilst the abstractionist work of Lex Marie, which utilized birth fabric cloths, provided the sense of serenity that comes with the safe arrival of a newborn. It Is True, I Was Created in You served both the artistic ideals of self-expression and functionality. The various depictions of motherhood in this exhibition add to the historical canon and works of artists such as Elizabeth Catlett and Carrie Mae Weems, who have been unafraid to demonstrate the dynamism of motherhood in their works of art.

The works of art in the exhibition were sold to collectors and institutions and the proceeds were used to establish a maternal health endowment at the obstetrics and gynecology department at Penn State Health. This fund will be able to support research projects, pilot studies that specifically monitor and address maternal health issues, provide opportunities to educate trainees and staff, and support community projects that overall improve patient access to basic reproductive health care and maternal health care. It is our hope that It Is True, I Was Created in You exemplifies the power of art to educate and will encourage communities to work towards shared goals.

Tonya S. Wright, MD, FACOG, is a board-certified obstetrician–gynecologist and assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State College of Medicine. She is the division chief of the academic specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, vice chair of education, and codirector of the Women and Girls Bleeding Disorder Clinic at Penn State Health. She and her husband founded Wright N.A.O. Art, a nonprofit organization that aims to highlight the work of underrepresented groups while catalyzing cultural equity across the arts and cultural industries.

The 2024 theme for Black History Month is African Americans and the Arts. This year, we hope to give a platform to art made by Black members of the ACOG community. We’d also love to hear from ACOG members about works by African American artists that have inspired you or that have particular meaning in your life and career. Email [email protected] to share a story in the form of a written essay, visual art, or a video.