I used to always (angrily, bitterly) assert that cultural connection and healing was the responsibility of the individual. A couple of years ago one of my friends corrected me and told me that it is equally (probably more so..) the responsibility of your community / nation / people.

In this exhibition I tried to walk the tightrope between talking about generational / colonial trauma while still maintaining the dignity and privacy of my ancestors and community who share this trauma with me. That’s where the title “Gathering Sphagnum moss” comes from - the replication of the careful (care / full) process of gathering and drying moss in preparation for a winter birth. Picking out moss that has started to rot, gathering the best, and preparing long in advance for a time of emotional / physical intensity. The moss would have been used in cradle boards as a kind of diaper. Maybe I can replicate this process but instead for storytelling, art making and cultural salvaging / connection making