Created one year after my fathers death life hereafter is my way of expressing the confusion of emotions and longing for the past that I have felt each day since his passing.
Through the work I explore the complex grieving process that comes with losing a parent, and the emotional reality I face within myself as I try to accept the circumstances leading up to his death.
This project looks at the idea of tainted memories to express how, although he was a perfect father, he had his own personal struggles which have altered my recollection of growing up.
Bringing together spaces, memories and archive pieces in the form of imagery and sound, this body of work at its core is a collaboration between a daughter and her father. This collaboration is signified by the longing gaze, as I looked to my Dad for a sense of security and reassurance that a parent provides to a child through their returning stare. By keeping his identity, somewhat hidden, the roles become reversed as on instinct I now protect and care for my fathers image, even though he is no longer with us.
The concept of time and nostalgia allows me to accept the reality of my emotions in the present whilst longing for a sense of comfort.
