All I’ve Got
Acrylic on paper, cheesecloth, mirror film, handcut and handwoven nets, burlap and fiber heart, and collected voicemails from my grandma over two and a half years. installation in RISD's waterman building. ~12 x 12’
This installation culminated over the several weeks following my grandma's heart attack and open heart surgery. When I heard the news, I was in quarantine with COVID and longed to be at her side while I was over a thousand miles away. The audio of "All I’ve Got" is a compilation of all of the voicemails I've received from my grandma since starting college at RISD in the fall of 2020. This chorus of love, care, longing, and missed calls rings out in the space of the exhibition through a hidden, embedded speaker. Alter-like, the viewer must commune at this site, absorbing the labor infused in the sprawling artwork and the love diffused in the spoken words. No matter how dedicated you are to your craft, or absorbed by your practice, make time for your loved ones and call them back. they're all you've got.
Return to the main 2023 page to watch the video documentation which features the work’s audio.