Gal Melnick – ‘Creative Mothers’
Gal Melnick is an artist whose works are compositions of shapes and colors, which create a dialog between different mediums. "I find inspiration in various subjects such as nature, mythologies, modern culture and the interaction between the banality of everyday life with imaginary worlds. I’m always curious to examine the transformation of two dimensional shapes and lines into three dimensional objects. My interest is to create a situation in which the objects begin to lose their relation to place, time and form."
Gal is the second of three mothers I photographed during my travels.
’Becoming a mother has deeply transformed my creative journey. Raising two daughters and choosing to be fully present with them in their early years at home has reshaped not only how I live, but how I create. The rhythm of my days has shifted completely, and with it, my artistic language has evolved. I’ve begun to understand more clearly what I want to focus on as an artist.
With limited time and constant fatigue, I had to let go of perfectionism and learn to work in short, intentional bursts—often at night, when the house is finally quiet.
I can feel the tension between wanting to create and simply needing rest.
After my second daughter was born, I gave up the studio I had been renting and moved my practice home, letting it flow alongside daily life. There are still days when I worry I’m not working enough, when I struggle to find even a moment to think, let alone create or that I’ve disappeared into the demands of motherhood—but there is also a surprising strength in that. Being a mother has taught me to be more forgiving with myself, more efficient, more patient and focused on what truly matters. Sometimes, even simple acts like preparing a meal or crafting something with my daughters feels like an extension of my practice. And while I might be in a quieter phase professionally, I can sense that a deeper creative process is growing within me—one that will inevitably find its way out when the time is right.’
