Bizzy Matheson

The Ikea Calendar

When I was younger, my mom had the painting, Mother and Child, by Gustav Klimt, framed on her bedroom wall above her nightstand. It had been torn out of an Ikea Calendar, and to this day still has the little hole in the top where it would've been pinned up on the wall. I always saw the mother and child in the image as my mum and myself. It became a very comforting picture to me as I grew up and I often stared at it whenever I went to sleep in my parents room because of a nightmare. Recently I’ve begun to resonate with the piece even more seeing that the child in the image is supposedly androgynous. It still follows me, and I will forever associate the image with warm nostalgic memories. I see it now through a pure childlike lens, untouched by any gender conformity. It gave me this unknown freedom to develop into the person I am today without any restrictions or bittersweet memories of the past. So, in honour of that, I present to you, a unique family portrait, illustrating my mother, sister, and I wrapped up in Klimt inspired shapes. As well as the passing by of my dad and brother, symbolized in the ravens swooping overhead.