On view: May 12 - June 25, 2016

“On Borrowed Time” is an exhibition about my experience of losing a parent. On March 26th, 2014 my Dad passed away from pancreatic cancer. This body of work explores ideas of grief and memory. Each piece has a strong conceptual narrative to engage the viewer encouraging them to reflect on their relationships with others and to think about the stark reality of life and death.

Grief is a highly personal experience; every individual’s process is unique. I am interested in addressing the experience of loss and how it perpetuates a person’s evolving identity. Oftentimes a person will fall in to a cycle of perpetual grief. The Native community has a history of genocide and has suffered through issues of grief due to historical trauma. I believe that grief can become another addiction. As a people who have suffered such cataclysmic events, it is critical to the survival of our race and culture that we begin the healing process. There is an oppressive weight that has been passed on from generation to generation. It is time to lift this burden visited upon us by the dominant culture and reclaim our lives and our history.

Everybody experiences loss in their life but may not be able to verbalize their feelings. For me, I have been able to work through grief and depression through my art. This expression is vital to my healing process.I use textiles as a way to contain memory, to reflect, and to tell a difficult story. This medium helps me to rebuild my textured past and learn the history of my people through making.