> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://emilymorter.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Short cold days - URL: https://emilymorter.com/short-cold-days/ - Published: 2026-07-13T22:00:56.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-14T03:54:29.000Z - Description: warmth of many kinds, motherhood, taking up space - Author: Emily Morter - Tags: Writing Jul 2026 0:00 /207.563174 1× These are the short cold days of winter, when the sun is so low in the sky its rays angle directly into your eyes, except on mornings when it doesn’t break through the foggy clouds at all. This is the season I find myself seeking cosy spaces indoors, full of colour and light, to stimulate my senses with **warmth of many kinds** \- cinnamon, ginger, chestnut, cashmere, merino, tangerine, magenta, candle light, glowing embers, twinkling fairy lights… ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/ec/5dece2dd-1b31-4e64-87f1-1d453618bd9f/content/images/2026/08/cd2c8ae7-bd28-46d6-b88f-9a326dcbb27b_1002x1442-jpeg-1.jpg) Warming myself with the [2026 NAIDOC poster](https://www.naidoc.org.au/posters/poster-gallery/2026-national-naidoc-week-poster?ref=emilymorter.com) by Zaachariaha Fielding I visited the [*Mother*](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/mother/?ref=emilymorter.com) and the [*Cartier*](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/cartier/?ref=emilymorter.com) exhibitions at NGV this month. *Cartier* was as coldly glamorous as predicted for a blockbuster exhibition, but I was unexpectedly moved by the design of the rooms… they felt so warm and cosy, like you were stepping inside a jewellery box or within the rainbow reflections of a giant gemstone. You can view some of designer Sabine Marcelis’ concepts [here](https://sabinemarcelis.com/projects/cartier-ngv?ref=emilymorter.com). I also found a few whimsical mothers tucked amongst the tiaras: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/ec/5dece2dd-1b31-4e64-87f1-1d453618bd9f/content/images/2026/08/ea0befd7-d13f-4f62-ad8a-726d91ba6f1e_2570x2663-jpeg.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/ec/5dece2dd-1b31-4e64-87f1-1d453618bd9f/content/images/2026/08/845dd09b-185c-4a46-82a6-25a661ad36b9_2938x2924-jpeg.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/ec/5dece2dd-1b31-4e64-87f1-1d453618bd9f/content/images/2026/08/5ca52c59-06e5-45de-9207-634533fff5b8_3060x3034-jpeg.jpg) *Mother* was a complex and varied exhibition, just as the reality of **motherhood** is. It explored experiences of motherhood through many different mediums across time and place. I felt really stirred by many of the works - it brought up a lot of memories and mixed feelings. Here are three very different mothers that caught my attention: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/ec/5dece2dd-1b31-4e64-87f1-1d453618bd9f/content/images/2026/08/e6707a2c-23a7-46aa-97b1-082d32369cc9_4080x3060-jpeg.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/ec/5dece2dd-1b31-4e64-87f1-1d453618bd9f/content/images/2026/08/66342659-f49b-4122-af23-275e27fd925b_4080x3060-jpeg.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/ec/5dece2dd-1b31-4e64-87f1-1d453618bd9f/content/images/2026/08/204f9b6e-defb-4247-a51d-31dff20bc841_2404x3060-jpeg.jpg) All of the art was selected from the existing collection in NGV archives. Which makes me wonder why mother’s art and stories aren’t permanently on display at the gallery? And why the catalogue for this exhibition is only a digital publication, not in print? Is motherhood unmentionable and unremarkable in the art world? Could this be changing? I recently heard about the [Women of the Rijksmuseum](https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/stories/women-of-the-rijksmuseum?ref=emilymorter.com) project, started in 2021, that brings visibility to the women artists who have been hidden or lost in the archives of the museum’s collection. Rather than displaying the art in temporary exhibitions, the initiative delves deep into research, challenges history and traditions, and makes the whole museum look different, permanently. One of my favourite businesses making this change outside of the art world is She Shapes History. Sadly there was [an incident on one of their tours ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY0c9b1zwbV/?ref=emilymorter.com)at the end of May, that demonstrates why this work of sharing women’s stories and addressing who takes up space is still so relevant and important. **Inspiration** - [this poem](https://wildandwonderful.substack.com/i/145252147/a-poem-for-you-to-enjoy) by Barbara Kingsolver - my daughter proudly **taking up space** at [Galleria Crocodillo](https://www.galleriacrocodillo.com/shows/the-crocodile-group-show?ref=emilymorter.com) and on [SBS learn](https://www.sbs.com.au/learn/yarning-circles/?ref=emilymorter.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/ec/5dece2dd-1b31-4e64-87f1-1d453618bd9f/content/images/2026/08/435a819d-d0ee-4a6c-944a-b9edd1c97d46_3848x1347-jpeg.jpg) Much love, Emily [Subscribe now](#/portal/signup)