Exhibition: "MUMMY DEAREST" photography by Cheryl Newman & Katharine MacDaid

MUMMY DEAREST
an exhibition of photographs by
Cheryl Newman & Katharine MacDaid

Cheryl Newman and Katharine MacDaid both photograph their mothers or rather make photographs with their mothers. For both of them, it is the act of photographing that is important – “it is to embrace our relationship in a way that I haven’t since my childhood”, says Newman, and for MacDaid, “it is an act of both affection and awareness, it is an intimate gesture from a position of distance.”

Newman and MacDaid have separately been photographing their mothers over many years, making portraits whenever they visit them at home. It was while teaching together in Oslo, that they discovered this shared endeavour; a search to uncover and connect with the women they each call mum.

For Newman, making the work is about connection and collaboration, channelling a dynamic she remembers from childhood. Photographing her mother is a process of interacting, a way to find that sweet spot where play becomes who she is.

Mac Daid on the other hand, uses photography as a way to confront the contained emotion of her mother, who having been raised in Protestant East Belfast, carries a reserved background with her. For Mac Daid it is her mother’s poise and inherent strength that she seeks to reveal in the photographs.

Mummy Dearest is an exhibition about the complexity of the ties between mother and daughter; ones that are both deeply close and personal at the same time as being guarded and distant. Unfolding over significant periods of time, the photographs travel to the very heart of this most powerful, yet mysterious familial relationship.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Instagram:
@cherylnewman1
@katharinemacdaid

Cheryl Newman is a visual artist working primarily in photography and collage. She studied Fine Art at Brighton University and holds an MA (with Distinction) in Photography Arts from the University of Westminster. Her practice explores themes of love, desire, and family history—intimate reflections on the human condition she describes as “landscapes of emotions.” Through personal, thematic narratives, Newman traces a photographic journey into her childhood, navigating the uncertain terrains of teenage sex, religion, and the sexual politics of the 1970s. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.
In addition to her artistic practice, Cheryl is an influential figure in the world of photography. She has served on numerous international juries, including as a consultant and judge for the Moran Prize for Contemporary Photography in Sydney (2015–2019), the Eugene Smith Grant jury (2019), and the UK Press Awards (2025). She chaired the RPS Photography Awards from 2017 to 2019 and currently serves on the advisory board of the Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant.

Katharine MacDaid (b. Belfast, Northern Ireland) has a master’s degree in photography from the Royal College of Art in London. She uses photography, moving image and storytelling to make work that acknowledges the inherent tension and unease in the ordinary and immediate world. Katharine has shown work in Norway and internationally, including at Vårutstillingen, Høstutstillingen, Østlandsutstillingen, Museum Villa Rot, Germany; The Baltic Centre, UK; Macro Testaccio, Italy, and Arles Festival, France.

You may also like the following events from Galleri Schaeffers Gate 5:

• Next Thursday, 14th August, 06:00 pm, “ANXIOUS WOMEN” by Aleksandra Klitina: A Feminine Reflection on War, Power, and Survival in Oslo
• This month, 23rd August, 12:00 pm, Separatutstilling: "Viviseksjon" av Janina Laxness in Oslo
• This month, 27th August, 06:00 pm, “INSIDE OUT” • A special EXHIBITION featuring JAMES JOHNSTON (UK) in Oslo

Also check out other Arts events in Oslo, Exhibitions in Oslo, Festivals in Oslo.