Unfamilial, 2026

When an act of greed threatened my own family’s well-being and sanctuary, I began to question how my cousins' values-who I thought I knew and trusted-could be so antithetical to mine. Witnessing entitlement, deceit, and manipulation as an adult from a close family member who had always been sweet and seemingly caring has caused much upheaval and damage.

I felt compelled to explore that betrayal and its lingering trauma through the reconstructive practice of mixed media. Starting with photographs of family members and heirlooms from that side of the family I choose to make something new from them.

By mirroring and repeating these images, or tearing and cutting them apart, I reclaim family memories and kinfolk in my own vision. Paper, fabric, thread, eyelets, and buttons carry the important symbols: social status, survival, community, interconnectedness, and individuality.

In taking apart my assumptions that what my cousins valued was the same as my family, I elevate those values from the ones my immediate family holds at its core. This act gives me the strength to define family values on my own terms, to move past the harm, and to honor my heritage while doing so.