In her ongoing “Hidden Mother” series, Downingtown artist Sarah Detweiler focuses on the figures usually relegated to the background, writes Grace Ebert for Colossal, an international platform for contemporary art and visual expression.

The mixed-media portraits in the sold-out exhibition are at Paradigm Gallery in Philadelphia through May 22. They are a throwback to Victorian-era photography.

A common child-photography technique was to hide mothers somewhere in the setting to keep little ones calm during long exposure times.

Detweiler depicts these traditionally “hidden” mothers without their children. She renders fabrics with a mix of oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolor, and embroidered elements. By cloaking women in materials long associated with domesticity, she confronts traditional notions of femininity and motherhood.

Detweiler develops a personal relationship with her subjects. She then incorporates that personality and experience into her work, using specific textiles and motifs.

A statement about the series noted that “… in maintaining the anonymity, (Detweiler) preserves a universal relatability — the woman under the shroud could be you, your mother, your friend.”

The exhibition is also available as a virtual tour.

Read more about Sarah Detweiler at Colossal.