Mum and daughter creative duo, Eryn and Cheryl Marshall stand beside the namesake piece for the exhibition Young at Heart. Photo: Hayley Nicholls
“This exhibition is a testament to women and the resilience they show – from puberty to perimenopause, it’s a roller-coaster – but they keep showing up.”
These were the words of welcome from Eryn Marshall as she stood beside her proud mother and artistic partner, Cheryl Marshall, ready to share their first collaborative exhibit.
Showing at The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre (The Q) until Saturday (8 August), Young at Heart aims to break through stigmas and preconceived notions around women at midlife, bringing forth themes which are not often talked about.
Through an anonymous survey of women experiencing midlife, Eryn and Cheryl identified the most prominent recurring themes – body neutrality, the hormonal heroine, reflection and identity and the search for steadiness. Each created their own representative artworks.
“I did mine completely from my own interpretation, Mum’s done hers from her experience, and we’ve only seen each others’ once we had both finished,” Eryn said.
The result is a delightfully insightful exhibit, drenched in colour and a surprising mix of materials, which is guaranteed to spark conversations across and between generations.
Young at Heart is Eryn’s fourth art exhibition and the second time her work has been used to raise funds and awareness for her chosen charity, The Butterfly Foundation.
The Butterfly Foundation provides support for anyone impacted by eating disorders and body image issues, including friends and family.
“I have spoken previously about my experience with eating disorders,” said Eryn.
“That was something I have recovered from and continue to recover from. It is part of my journey.
“I’m grateful for that experience because everything happens for a reason and my art wouldn’t be where it is without it.”
When asked for her perspective, Cheryl said the experience of caring for a child with an eating disorder “can be overwhelming”.
“When she was at her peak … we just wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool and bring her back home and protect her from the big wide world,” she said.
“But I am so proud of her for coming through and being able to put this together today.”
Eryn was recently named Young Businesswoman of the Year at the 2025 Canberra Women in Business Awards for her self-titled art business, Eryn Marshall Artistry.
With more than 20 pieces on display – including acrylics on canvas, mixed-media works featuring gemstones and wool and miniature folk-art sculptures crafted from natural materials – Cheryl said preparation for the exhibition involved plenty of time spent together in “art boot camp”.
The exhibition is also reflective of a strong and dynamic mother-daughter bond; its origins in an upbringing full of arts, crafts and glitter-strewn tables.
“It wasn’t unnatural to us, or unfamiliar. It was just bringing it back to old times,” Eryn said.
After a rousing exploration of womanhood, Eryn and Cheryl introduce the poignant final piece on our artistic tour, I Am Woman.
“We’re all human and all of these ideals that we see or think or compare ourselves to, this piece challenges that,” Eryn said.
“Because that’s not the way it is. We are all lumpy. We’re all curvy. We’re all got bits and bobs hanging off of us and that’s exactly how it should be.
“It’s a bold statement of ‘I am who I am, and so be it’. So freaking be it.”
Young at Heart is showing at The Q until Saturday 8 August during standard Box Office hours and performance times for Diamond.
