Dogu Lady 42

DOGU LADIES
My interpretation of the ancient Dogu*.
A talisman for women today.
Who build a career, a life and raise children.
With no precedent to guide us - we work it all out as we go. My Dogu Ladies watch over us as we make history.
*Dogu - mysterious female figurines from prehistoric Japan (14,000-400BC approx). With big eyes, accentuated large breasts and wide hips, they are widely held to be symbols of fertility, a promise of safe delivery for baby and mother, hope for the continuation of life. A TALISMAN FOR THE HISTORY SHE MAKES
For the career woman, yesterday’s teen pregnancy is today’s twenty- something mum. We view a child in our 20’s as a setback to our ambitions. We struggle with a lack of mothering instinct, believe we’re not a ‘baby person’, or that kids get in the way of our success. We may be highly educated, well travelled, hard working, yet we watch our 20’s fly by, our 30’s too, our whole life driven by career - until the day we wake up to our reproductive reality. And we’re seized with the terror of losing everything we’ve strived for (our career, our freedom, our way of life) because of the negative way motherhood is portrayed in society.
With a new born in my late 30’s, a second in my 40’s, truth is it’s tough to maintain a career, a meaningful relationship with your partner, AND raise children. It’s intense. More so when you both have demanding professions. A fully functioning family appears almost like a myth.
My Dogu Ladies are a salute to the strength of the career mother, her resilience and determination. Recognition that what she does is without historical precedent - with no past to guide us, these vases are a talisman for the history we create ourselves. A talisman for women.
For the woman who wants a child but fears the risk to her career. For the woman who stares down the challenge of infertility.
For the woman who pumps every 3 hours to freeze her milk for the nanny.
For the woman who steps up to run the meeting without decent sleep for months.
For the woman who doubts her ability to be a mum.
For the woman who makes more money than her partner and worries how the home will run when her new born arrives.
For the woman who just had a baby and faces the intense, non-stop process of piecing together her new life
For the woman who seeks a second career after her children start school.
For the woman who thought she could return to work after 6 month but isn’t ready to leave her child at the nursery.
All power to you.
I am sending my power to you all.
- Noe Kuremoto