About ‘Memento Mori’- Steel and Skulls Wearable Art

Death! Death is a concept that I reflect on regularly with a neutral lens. Death is that final adventure that everyone takes. Each death I have witnessed has pushed me into unidentifiable and alien/one-of-a-kind feelings. The death of my grandma brought me a sense of relief because it brought her the relief she much needed in her illness. Friends taken by car accidents, pool drownings, falls, and suicide each bring me it’s own vintage of sadness that numbs.

Every year there is someone in my life that unexpectedly or anticipatingly take this final phase of their life. I am reminded of how limited our time is and how important it is to invest time wisely. Memento mori in Latin translates to “remember that you have to die”. Memento Mori objects are emblems to reflect on mortality, especially in terms of the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits.

During my time in New Mexico, I would hike a barren path that leads to an owl hangout. I collected the owl pellets and used forensics to discover what the owls decided to kill to sustain their life. I boiled the pellets to separate the hair from the bones (not recommended for the faint of heart). The revealed skulls were then cast in resin to be suspended in steel cages. The digestive and cleaning process of the animal bones rendered these skulls the perfect symbol of death. The use and weight of steel is to emulate the burden and emotional weight of the mourning process.