Artist’s Statement

Do You See Me? emerged from my decades as a physician-scientist, where I witnessed countless difficulties after childbirths. I noticed a troubling pattern: if the baby did well, all agreed it was a successful delivery; if not, it was deemed a failure. During pregnancy and labor, the mother was reduced to a vessel that carried the child. But these vessels break, and sometimes not even the mothers notice it.

For almost 30 years, I've listened to my patients' emotional distress. For some women, birth is experienced as a traumatic event, with a minority developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In new mothers with PTSD, the underlying pelvic floor muscle injury often goes unnoticed. Their physical symptoms aren't validated by a diagnosis of muscle injury, and their psychological agony continues. The mothers may be told it's all in their heads or that the symptoms will pass. These patients feel alone, their voices unheard.

I decided to advocate for mothers with postpartum pelvic floor trauma and PTSD by painting their emotions. In my work, I first took the typical statements and sentiments that my patients expressed and matched them with seven stages of grief: Shock, Denial, Anger, Depression and Detachment, Dialogue and Bargaining, Acceptance, and Return to a Meaningful Life. For these stories, I often choose large format canvases or boards to draw viewers into the mother's postpartum world.

The mothers universally identify with the subject matter as these stories come from shared everyday experiences. My mothers are often depicted alone, inviting viewers to join them in their silent journey through various healing stages. Chronicling mothers' postpartum depression and PTSD journey is not a responsibility I've taken lightly. Each painting is carefully conceived to fulfill its role in advocating for these overlooked women.R

Stage 6. Acceptance: A New Plan in Place - Rising out of Depression
"I felt myself lifting each day very slowly. Slowly rising from a very dark underworld that no human should ever visit. The voice of my child, my family, and the universe called me back towards the light."  This painting is the mid-point of all the emotions experience by a woman in PTSD. She is suspended without resistance between the light and the darkness. The hope and support will pull her up towards the light.” Birch Board, Oil, and Acrylic, 24 x 36 x 1.5 inches

Rising out of Depression: "I felt myself lifting each day very slowly. Slowly rising from a very dark underworld that no human should ever visit. The voice of my child, my family, and the universe called me back towards the light."

This painting is the mid-point of all the emotions experience by a woman in PTSD. She is suspended without resistance between the light and the darkness. The hope and support will pull her up towards the light.

Artist’s Bio

Prof. S. Abbas (Arta) Shobeiri (Iranian-American, b. 1964) is a professional painter who concentrates on stories and general motifs of post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth. He is especially passionate about advocating for this very vulnerable population. Dr. Shobeiri is an international authority, researcher, educator, and surgeon concentrating on postpartum mothers' physical and mental health. He is a medical device innovator, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Education, and Biomedical Engineering.

Dr. Shobeiri was an artist and a writer before he became a healer. Over the years, he emphasized the connection between the mind and the heart, and between the soul and the human body. As a medical student in early 90s he was astonished how little was known about women’s basic pelvic floor anatomy, function, and maternal mental health after childbirth. His paintings promote emotional literacy and break the social taboos surrounding childbirth, depression, and PTSD. Harnessing his first-hand experience as a doctor working with mothers for the past 30 years, he brings an empathetic lens into the complex experience of being an injured mother. Dr. Shobeiri leverages his knowledge of anatomy, maternal mental health, and post-traumatic stress disorder to give the audiences diverse voices from different ages, cultures, gender identities, and abilities. His practice pivots effortlessly between the research bench, the operating rooms, and the easel, initially engaging in vulnerable dialogues with the new mothers, then sharing their common stories visually while poignantly addressing broader mental health issues.

Do You See Me? is the first-ever painting exhibition concentrating on postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth. The exhibition, which opened in Washington, D.C., received rave reviews from the Washington Post and ABC News. 

For additional information, please visit the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology exhibition page.