Without These Things, I Would Be Invisible

This paper "Trace and Retrace" accompanies my Masters of Fine Arts thesis exhibition titled "Without These Things, I Would Be Invisible". The exhibition took place in Special Projects Gallery at York University in April 2022. The body of work consists of sculptures, photographs and found objects. The work stems from my own experience of loss from childhood to the present. I am reflecting on how unresolved familial loss and trauma can be passed down through the things shared in a household. "Without These Things, I Would Be Invisible" explores the intersection of grief with sentimental objects as they intertwine with memory, unresolved loss and identity. I work with personal materials that recall memories, conjuring a symbolic status that overrides their intended function. This body of work is my attempt to remember, find new articulations, and honour the complexities of my own experiences of grief and my obsession with objects.