Hello Death, Where Have You Been All My Life?

Hello Death, Where Have You Been All My Life?, is an installation that harnesses the social function of ritual space to reflect, process grief, heal, and envision alternative futures. The vibrantly-colored chapel-like space revolves around a monumental, central altarpiece covered in imagined ritual objects. These objects were created in direct response to my interviews with workers in the field of death and dying, including death doulas, chaplains, funeral parlor directors, and grave diggers. As viewers walked around the altar, they also came upon an interactive burial mound with a guided meditation to be listened to from within a coffin sculpture. While many rituals may function in a prescribed order, Hello Death, Where Have You Been All My Life? implores viewers to choose their own path, move in the pace and order they decide, and reflect on the potential of ritual and craft to heal.

Hello Death, Where Have You Been All My Life?, was supported by the Center for Craft’s Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. Each year this substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.

Hello Death, Where Have You Been All My Life?

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