Artist Statement

In my work, I explore mortality and death. My work reflects my interest in memento mori – the Latin phrase meaning ‘remember you will die’. This subject, closely related to Vanitas still life, was prevalent during the Baroque. The genre featured symbols pointing to mortality - encouraging reflection on the transience of life. Rather than illustrating typical human skulls, I refer to animal remains – specifically skulls, flesh and bones - to flesh out ideas of life and death. This fascination stems from processing my own mortality.

While my choice of imagery is also driven by the imagery I see in my nightmares, I am mesmerised by animal remains, their varying textures, forms, and colour. As a child on my grandparents’ farm, I witnessed the slaughtering and dressing/skinning of animals, it was then that my fascination with animal remains began. Through repetitive study, I use their remains as a still life to contemplate mortality and attempt to make sense of death - the finality of it, ceasing to exist. I’m also interested in the significance of ‘remains’ - that what remains after death, that what we associated with life, is now lifeless.

Most recently, referring to animal remains as a reminder of our inevitable death, I draw on the Old Testament’s imagery and description of the shadow of death, interpreted as our awareness that we, and our loved ones, will die. I explore the concept of Sheol, interpreted as a dwelling place of the dead, as a point of departure to contemplate what happens after life.