16 in H x 12 in W x 6.8 in D
Ceramic, casein paint, wood, stone
“Smell” was inspired by a chance encounter that occurred while I was in a state of acute stress. I was sitting alone on a park bench and was startled by a rustle directly behind me. Quickly turning around, I found myself face to face with a six-year-old waif of a boy. I said, “Hi,” and the boy responded by closing his eyes and slowly inhaling deeply. He then looked me in the eyes and said, “Smell the breeze,” and scampered off. I thought, if there are angels, this must be one reminding me not to take myself so seriously. This experience led to my first reliquary, “Smell,” which is about preserving forests and clean air.
14.5 in H x 12 in W x 6.8 in D
Ceramic, casein paint, wood
“Sip,” the second reliquary, concerns global warming, shrinking glaciers, and the loss of clean water supplies. It was inspired by the receding glaciers in Banff National Park and the Himalayas.
14.3 in H x 12 in W x 6.8 in D
Ceramic, casein paint, wood
“Savour,” the third reliquary, is about the value of clean food and the protection of our natural seed supply.
15 in H x 12 in W x 6.8 in D
Ceramic, casein paint, wood, crystal
“Song,” the fourth reliquary, represents listening to the creative voice that inspires and guides us.
My curiosity about reliquaries was sparked after a friend gave me a book about the art collection housed in the Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The book included photos of medieval sculptural reliquary busts that were made to hold the skull bones of female saints. The tradition of making reliquaries is an ancient one practiced by many religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. In the middle ages the goal of many pilgrimages was to visit the reliquaries and offer prayers to their saints through these relics.
Intrigued, I began to think about what a contemporary reliquary might look like and represent. This led to the creation of four ceramic busts inspired by European and Asian reliquaries that reflect current environmental issues important to world cultures today. These contemporary reliquaries are about honoring the environment and reference what we are in danger of losing but can still save. Like reliquaries of the past, they are meant to be objects of inspiration and contemplation. All four reliquaries depict children because they are the environmental stewards of the future.
