A series of sculptures, meant to be touched and observed closely, impressed with ancestral cultural objects common to cultures in the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region where my ancestors are from, and specific to my own family. But the lace, crochet, herbs, jewelry and other items that remind us of our ancestors might be from your family as well.
Bleached white like the bones of our dead, unfinished like our story
No matter how deeply you dig, you will not find the bones of my family. You will not put us back together, whole again in our stolen homelands, rooted to our lands like ancient trees. Discovery will not resurrect us, nor mitigate our sorrow. It is for us the survivors to change the future.
L to R: Grandmother’s Crochet, Wedding Jewels, Grandfather’s Prayer Beads, Wooden Pomegranates, Grandmother’s Lace
Porcelain Bisque Sculptures, 2020
The timbers of our homes blackened, one small shoe, the herbs you gathered, bits of lace, a broken pot, now lying in the dust
L to R: The Soil of Our Land, Grandmother’s Crochet, Grandfather’s Prayer Beads, Wedding Jewels, The Herbs You Gathered, One Small Shoe, Burnt Timbers, Shattered Dishes
Glazed Stoneware Sculptures, 2020