Art depicting local aboriginal maternity stories has been donated to Grafton Base Hospital as part of celebrations for International Day of the Midwife.

Local artist Tanya Rose, who donated the artwork, created the painted belly casts with local women while they were pregnant.

“I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve been working towards this for some time,” Ms Rose said.

“I find the pregnant form beautiful and people can look at it and see that beauty,” Ms Rose said.

The belly casts feature a variety of different images and symbols, with one featuring a tree of life against a landscape of sea, plains, mountains and sky.

“Its mother earth, she’s big, bold and textural. The family tree is depicting the life cycle and the beauty and form of a pregnant body.”

Tina Morrison, Grafton Base Hospital’s Midwifery Unit Manager, said it was a truly meaningful gift.

“With this year’s International Day of the Midwife theme being ‘changing the world one family at a time’, this is the perfect gift,” Tina said.

“These artworks mean a lot to our maternity staff, as well as to the mothers who had casts made of their bellies and went on to have their babies here.”