LE REGRET D’ÊTRE MÈRE,
CET ULTIME TABOU
PROJECT: Editorial / Issue 829
CLIENT: Marie Claire France
YEAR: 2022
This artwork was created to accompany the Marie Claire France feature Le regret d’être mère, cet ultime tabou, an article by Catherine Durand that addresses one of the most silenced subjects in contemporary society: maternal regret. The illustration translates this complex emotional landscape into a symbolic and introspective visual narrative that confronts the tension between imposed ideals of motherhood and individual identity.
At the center of the composition stands a solitary female figure, vulnerable yet resolute, embodying the internal conflict between selfhood, expectation, and desire. The surrounding elements draw from nature, mythology, and the subconscious to evoke cycles of life, instinct, and transformation. Predatory animals, organic forms, and fragmented classical references suggest both protection and threat, intuition and suppression, while the intense chromatic background heightens the psychological charge of the scene. Rather than offering judgment, the image creates space for reflection, giving form to emotions that are often denied or hidden.
In alignment with Stefania Tejada’s visual language, the work invites the viewer to confront discomfort, acknowledge emotional complexity, and question inherited narratives around femininity and motherhood. The illustration serves as a visual extension of the article’s core message, opening a necessary conversation about autonomy, honesty, and the right to exist beyond idealized roles.