HALLOWED is one of two corresponding pieces which debuted as part of 2023’s HÁLLOWEEN, a look back at my spookiest archival work.
At the end of the harvest, as the days begin to shorten, we honour both the beauty of life and the certainty of physical impermanence. Halloween or All Hallow’s Eve is the point when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest. It’s a call to remember and commune with loved ones we have lost – a time of light in the darkness, and darkness in the light.
HALLOWED explores the importance of light in the darkness, weathering inevitable loss with feelings of joy, remembrance, and connection. The design represents our communion with the departed, and the feelings of connection and distance defining these relationships. The face-obscuring lace references our imperfect recollection of loved ones, while the branches suggest family trees and votive altars. The light of the Jack-o'-lantern is thought to ward off malevolent spirits, so its traditional carvings are incorporated into the crown as a decoy face.
The design was created in modelling software and 3D printed. The piece is attached with a millinery wire headband, which also supports the veil.
