Mended Leaves
(Work-in-Progress), 2020-ongoing
Mended Leaves intertwines my interest in daily rituals and remembrance, while considering the process of repair and renewal. Through the creation of these hybrid botanicals, I contemplate the expansiveness of how care is given and its impact to those involved.
This body of work was initiated through my experience and subsequent reflection of being a primary caregiver during the COVID-19 pandemic. The artwork evolved as I circled close to home, walking through my neighbourhood as a way to reclaim public space during the lockdowns. While on these excursions I collected petals and leaves and upon returning home these tokens were pressed in books, placed in vases, or laid out for immediate intervention. Using on-hand supplies, I began exploring ways to transform the foliage through repairing tears, matching and re-imagining colours, and other such experimentation. These meditative explorations gave me time to reflect on the experience of mothering during a period filled with unease, when time bent, stood still, and stretched in unfamiliar ways. It led me to consider how the balance of self-care and giving of oneself is fundamentally tied to communication. My desire is to open dialogues about the work, weight, and responsibility of mothering and the importance of community.