My practice explores ritual, memory, and transformation through religious and mystical symbolism. This installation centers on themes of death, renewal, and resurrection, drawing on Christian eschatology and biblical prophecy. Inspired by sacred texts and images such as the Kursk Root Icon—an emblem of the first coming of Christ—and the nuptial and baptismal imagery that anticipates the second coming, I aim to create a shrine that reflects on the mystery of death and the hope of resurrection.
I use cyanotype for its association with water and light, evoking both baptism and the divine. The garments in the installation are extended to unnatural lengths, referencing the supernatural body and early baptismal traditions. The hands, cast in plaster, draw from sacred iconography and gesture, symbolizing the prophetic role of heralding the divine, as well as hands use in religious ritual to ordain, bless and absolve. My FYP was written on the semiotics of stigmata, ‘Stigmata, Signs and Symptoms’, the language of Catholic mysticism has a large influence on my work. the use of found objects combined with my own created pieces is a reflection of the both personal and inherited nature of faith.
My work is deeply rooted in biblical texts, liturgical color symbolism, and sacred imagery. I am influenced by the shrine-making practices of American artist Laurie Beth Zuckerman and the textile-based, religiously informed work of Marianne Lettieri. Through this piece, I aimed to create a space of contemplation—on mortality, transformation, and anticipation.