Bianca Raffaella Moments in Waiting, 2025

The painting is extremely pale, almost white, with soft grey, Pale Umber and blue showing through. A seated pregnant figure appears slightly left of centre. Light blue marks loosely define the head, shoulders, torso and belly.

The body is recognisable, but incomplete. Small blocks and strokes of blue appear around the figure as well as on it, so the colour seems to flicker in and out across the whole painting. Thin blue and grey drips run down through the lower half. The figure feels as though it could disappear into the white around it.

This painting comes from my experience of an ultrasound. People often talk about an ultrasound as the first time you see your baby. I never really had that moment. I could feel my son kicking, but I couldn't see him on the screen. And I wasn't able to use my phone to access the image in another way.

During one scan, the instruments were being pressed very hard against me. A major vein and artery were being compressed, and I began to faint. Everything in the room seemed to be about what was visible on the screen. But I was disappearing from the experience. I remember finding that incredibly isolating. I could feel my baby. But I couldn't see him.