I have mourned many people, most of whom are still alive. Forming and maintaining relationships has always been difficult for me. They blossom and die in unexpected ways. For the vast majority of my life, I have felt like an outsider, never quite fitting in with family, friends, or community. This has led to relationships ending in sudden and unexpected ways, and I carry an immense amount of grief with me.
These experiences have led me to create a collection of mourning veils in which I explore my non-linear grieving process of interpersonal relationships. These pieces are heavily influenced by my identity as a fat, neurodivergent, genderqueer dyke. I find it impossible to separate my mourning process from my identities which often leave me alienated and on the outside of my communities. Through captured pearls, cast silver, linked steel chain, and laser cut acrylic, I create a structure for my grief to manifest. These wearable objects allow me to physically express the emotions I experience internally but struggle to appropriately display. The weight and/ or placement of the pieces make them impossible to ignore, much like the aching pangs of sorrow.
