The Intersection of Grief and Gratitude

Abstract

This body of work and corresponding written thesis, The Intersection of Grief and Gratitude, explore four themes within my process of grieving: memory and contemplation, faith and doubt, the individual and the community, and grief and gratitude. These four themes, with an emphasis on the experience of the artwork, promote interaction as the installation orchestrates a shared experience. In 2016, my mom was diagnosed with mantle cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The news came as a big shock to my family and me as we tried to navigate the situation together. Grieving is typically associated with significant loss, specifically the death of a loved one. But for me, the grieving process started as soon as I heard the word ‘cancer’ and understood the resulting prognosis. Many parts of this journey are difficult to express and even more difficult to talk about. I have researched artists that convey themes of grief and gratitude, and developed my own work inspired by those who have come before me while placing emphasis on my own personal experience. Humans have struggled to find meaning, purpose, and closure within the context of loss, and I am no different. Grief is universally and individually experienced—an anchor that pulls us together. When grief is shared, it has the potential to bring new meaning to others and enhance our understanding of the human experience. While there is a shared history, this work is my own, ever evolving with the uniqueness of personal experience. Grief and gratitude continue to be a motivation for my art making and have impacted and connected me with other people in my life that struggle with similar challenges.