Do You Mourn in Chaos? is a cathartic painting—a place to move the heart and mind.
In 2020, my father died at the age of 91. It was the beginning of a pandemic. There was no wake, no service, no procession...tradition and rituals were lost. There was a burial but the number of people were restricted—lots of distance and no hugs. It was surreal.
In 2021, my mother died at the age of 91. We had the service with masks but no gathering to tell stories and reminisce.
In 2023, my brother died at the age of 66. He was the closest of five siblings. The family fell apart after my father’s death and even more so after my mother and brother’s death. Events that surfaced were foreign to how I thought of my family. It was chaos—or that’s what my mind and body experienced.
Do You Mourn in Chaos? was started when my brother was approaching hospice. It was picked up again after his passing and developed as a conversation with my mother, whose mourning was delayed.
A sanctuary exists in the creation of art. The act of contemplation, timelessness and resolve unfolds.
