Journey of Grief is a work of profound mourning. Through it, I process the end of an inspired marriage in 2016, when my husband lost a hard-fought battle with cancer. After spending decades working for social justice, this loss completely unmoored me. In order to find my way back to the living, I had to step back from that work and return to making art.
Journey of Grief delves into the alchemy of grief and widowhood, and whether it’s possible to turn personal pain into renewal and transformation. The series portrays the continuing presence of the beloved, fathomless sorrow, and the feeling of being trapped in the Underworld like the mythical Orpheus. The loss of future plans ushered in a helpless disorientation. It seemed only dreams could provide me with any guidance for surviving an extended period of darkness. Going beyond anguish and pain, these images explore uncertainty, bitterness, self-protection, the search for divine intent, and surrender.
With its composite self-portraits and surrealist images, Journey of Grief builds on my lifelong love of magical realism. This return to artmaking also renewed my passion for the textures and layers of printmaking, where my art journey began. Journey of Grief offers a searing, intrepid glimpse at what it takes to fully heal. Hopefully it will hearten others who walk this path.