Mixed media wall sculpture | Scrap wood, antique and vintage linens and lace, plastics, film canisters, toys, utensils, and found objects

Mourning is a deeply personal reflection on communal grief and the profound sensory experience of attending an Eritrean Orthodox funeral. Created after honoring the life of my best friend’s aunt, the piece captures the reverberations of incense, chanting, bells, and a language I didn’t speak but fully felt. The composition is divided—white vintage linens at the bottom and dark textures above—mirroring the balance between spiritual purity and the weight of loss. At its center, a large silver cross, inspired by traditional Eritrean designs, bears the words grief, distress, pain, sorrow, and love, woven into its intricate pattern. Surrounding the cross are black discarded objects—plastic toys, utensils, film canisters—symbols of memory, residue, and emotional weight. This piece speaks to the universality of mourning and the sacredness found in shared remembrance, even across cultures.