Shetek

Operculum of Cyprinus carpio, vintage fishing lures, glass beadwork, and Sashiko-inspired embroidery.

In the quiet wake of a landscape marked by loss, the Shetek series serves as a meditative bridge between life, decay, and the hope of what follows. Discovered on the shores of Lake Shetek following a massive winter kill, these bleached opercula—the protective bone of the breath—became a canvas for reflection while the artist’s grandfather was in hospice.

Each piece is a slow act of devotion. Through the rhythmic, repetitive motion of Sashiko-inspired embroidery, the "wounds" of the bone are mended, honoring the Christian belief in the beauty of transformation. By incorporating her grandfather’s vintage lures alongside delicate beaded "water droplets," the artist weaves his memory into the very architecture of the skeletal remains. This collection is a quiet testament to the "beauty in the bones," transforming biological debris into a sacred record of inheritance, breath, and the enduring promise of resurrection.