Pandemic

Covid19 was and is a unique moment in history in which humankind has to collectively rearrange itself physically, mentally and spiritually. The process of adjusting to this worldwide challenge continues to be turbulent, sudden, spiked with conflict and has its own continuing fluidity.


Life  (Pandemic 1)

Piano hinge bound shaped paper from handmade Kozo/Abaca with embedded porcupine quills and human hair, colored pencil fiber tracings and text spelling out the word 'life' in 12 different languages.

What strikes me during these times is that human encounters have suddenly become questionable on such an intimate level: the breath of another person as well as my own breath have become a threat. The very foundation of our life, the air we inhale and exhale, has become questionable. In this experience nobody is exempt, no matter where they live, which social status they have, which language they speak or what their hair color is.

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Breath  (Pandemic 2)
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Colored pencil on handmade shaped Kozo paper with embedded porcupine quills.
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Paper slurry in its fluidity reminds me of our breath - the very breath that became so problematic during the Covid days. When making these three connected discs I blew onto the slurry , setting it into motion, and then captured the fiber movement on the mould. The dry discs were then laid onto a light table to trace some of the fibers' movement pattern with a colored pencil.

All of Us   (Pandemic 3)


French Doors binding, handmade paper from cotton and kozo fiber with embedded hair, shaped pages; cover: colored cotton with text stencils; colored pencil; clam shell drop box

Indianapolis 1600
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Handmade Abaca/Indiana cornhusk paper with hair inclusions
60" x 60" x 2"

A map of mourners, downtown Indianapolis
Hair from Indianapolis inhabitants who lost loved ones during Covid