It’s been a few months into my installation project, which is planned for exhibition in October 2026. I knew this was going to be a challenge—these first few months feel like things are moving very slowly—but in my meetings, Michael David assures me I’m on target.
I’ve brainstormed an endless mind map of ideas and possibilities and settled on a few parameters early on. I have to juggle what I want to do with what is possible both financially and physically. I don’t want to limit my expression, but I also need to be pragmatic. And I believe limitations often lead to the best solutions.
Materials
The cost of shipping the exhibition from France to Brooklyn led me to choose lightweight gauze and sheer fabrics as the foundation. I like the idea of playing with transparency, light, and layers—possibly even projections that create volume through light and shadow, lending the work a light and airy feeling.
Theme
For the past few years, my work has felt dense, tough and heavy. I’ve been working with a lot of burlap whose properties and characteristics seemed to align with me emotionally. Current events had me in a dark and somber mood.
Knowing I had to work in gauze and light materials, I was drawn to the idea of using these types of materials to express uplifting feelings of hope and beauty. I then thought this could be an opportunity to focus on putting myself into an uplifting mindset as much as possible, then generate the art from this paradigm. I’m not sure if it’s possible but I believe it’s worth trying.
I was beginning to feel some clarity around my ideas when a life event helped me move into a very personal and meaningful direction.
During this time, my father (93 years old) was spending time in and out of the hospital with health issues. I spent as much time as I could visiting with him. While he was hospitalized, I slept in his room back home. It felt good to be there—I felt close to him. It’s a room filled with books, a rocking chair, and lots of interesting little things.
I stumbled upon a journal he had begun in 1958, right after he and my mother were married. I was struck by the elegant handwriting, then by the entries—short paragraphs describing everyday events in our family’s life. It expressed how, when they are observed, beautiful moments can be found in a simple, ordinary life.
While processing both sets of thoughts simultaneously, I kept returning to the beautiful handwriting in the journal. It inspired me to make the journal the heart of the installation. By sharing excerpts, I could honor both the beauty of the object itself as well as pay homage to my father. The visuals were already coming in the form of large transparent fabric panels printed with handwriting.
When I shared this idea with my mentor Michael David, he was fully supportive. I’m fortunate to have his guidance—it helps me build the confidence to take the next step. I’m not sure how this will evolve, but I’m grateful to have the chance to execute this vision. The next phase will be experimenting with fabric samples and selecting which passages from the journal will speak most powerfully in the space.
