Big Mother - Patricia Piccinini

The extraordinary Big Mother, measures 1.75m and is made from silicone, fibreglass, leather and human hair. Piccinini was inspired to create the work after reading a story about a female baboon whose baby died while still nursing. The primate mother, overwhelmed by grief, abducted a human child as a substitute (the child was later recovered unharmed).

Big Mother is the most significant addition to the Gallery’s contemporary Australian art collection in recent times. The purchase has been made possible with funds donated through the Gallery’s Contemporary Collectors group of benefactors.