FLORAL SKULLS SERIES 1

In late October 2024, my Aunt Donna passed away following her courageous fight against cancer, just as her mother (my grandmother) had done before her. In her final days, she was surrounded by family, receiving care and support. My niece (her daughter), my aunt (her sister), and my half-sister (her niece) kept vigil by her side. During this time, and in the weeks that followed, I began to reflect on how distant my half-sister had been from the family, and how Aunt Donna’s passing seemed to draw her back in. As we processed our grief together, I gained a deeper insight into my half-sister’s complicated relationship with her mother (my ex-stepmother), and I couldn’t help but think about how my ex-stepmother’s mother had also succumbed to cancer.

This journey led me to uncover the maternal cancer spiral that has woven through my family's history, filled with both beauty and sorrow—love intertwined with death. It’s in those moments of reflection and deep meditation that we begin to see how everything connects, revealing the clear image right before us alongside the distant echoes of time. In my initial images, I incorporated the flowers from my Aunt Donna’s funeral to craft the Memento Mori still lifes. Drawing from various creative influences and my experiences with death culture, I developed the visual language for these pieces. My extensive travels in Mexico allowed me to witness the profound power and beauty of Día de Los Muertos. This celebration captures both the splendor of one’s life and the grief of their passing, expressed ritualistically through artful altars. These altars serve as a central point for family and friends, filling the void left by the departed.