Reliquary collection

I have always been fascinated by religious art, and reliquaries in particular. In this body of work—created during the great ‘Covid Art’ phase of 2021—I was interested in exploring what relevance the reliquary could hold for a contemporary, secular audience. This exploration felt particularly relevant at a time when we were going through so much loss and grief as a global community. Clinging to scraps of our former lives, trying to navigate how to preserve things, honour things, mourn things, keep things safe. What might we put in a personal reliquary today? What might those vessels look like?

This series of fabricated reliquary vessels were a way of processing my pandemic experiences, as I meticulously hand crafted these ornate containers to house the remnants of my former life. I was mourning my lost schooling and studio space, my keycard to the university looming large in my wallet and mind. I was longing for music and dancing, sweat and heavy breathing, overpriced drinks and sharing cigarettes with strangers. My climate grief reached new and terrifying heights. All of these feelings I contained within small brass boxes; a cathartic process of grief, and a testament to the healing power of craft.