Join us for July 2nd Friday Art Walk featuring Resonator’s assistant Laura Nelsen! Debuting a new body of sculptural work for her first solo exhibition, so come out and support local art.

Artist Statement

Facing Death is a collection of works which began in 2021.  That same year marked the beginning of the noticeable decline of my maternal grandparents.  They both died in their home within nine months of one another.  Grief and fear halted my creative process for a long time and this collection of works signifies finally overcoming my fears and pursuing a full time career as a professional artist.  My creative approach reflects the journey of life.  It ebbs and flows in a continual search for purpose and enjoyment in the process as opposed to the outcome. While each piece is produced, I reflect on my own mortality.  I believe that through the inevitability of death, life is endowed with meaning and mine has been discovered in making art. Creating these masks has become a ritual, giving my life significance while honoring the inevitability of death and the natural order.  Coping with everyday struggles along with the spiral of grief has allowed reflection on what I want to do with my life and what I want for the end of my life as well.  Taking the leap into pursuing my career as a full-time professional artist does, at times, seem like Facing Death.

 These “death masks” are created in different forms and styles to explore various translations of my face.  Exploring the diverse forms of my face symbolizes my learning to embrace and appreciate the divergent aspects of the self.  The materials selected are made intentionally.  Pine wood for the shadow boxes honors the traditional use of pine boxes for burial.  Papier-mâché has been used to make a multitude of materials, but still continues to be used to make masks contemporarily.  Unlike traditional death masks, this collection is not meant to be worn.  As stated before, the creation of the masks has evolved into a personal ritual.  When displayed in the gallery, the masks resemble the way museums acquire ceremonial objects that are meant to be worn for religious and ritualistic functions.  This contrast between wearable and non-wearable as well as between gallery presentation and ceremonial context is my way of reflecting the discomfort many individuals experience with death and dying.  My hope is to create a dialogue about society’s relationship with death’s inevitability in order so that we may fully live.