Medium: Fuse beads, artificial sinew
Dimensions: 47 in X 11 in
Price: NFS
Description: In my piece titled "2013 Simmons Family Reunion", I explore the ways I connect with my Siletz culture—often in unexpected or unpredictable ways. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on accessibility: how knowledge about my culture, family history, and my tribe’s traditional practices is shared and found. During this search, I came across an Instagram account I didn’t know and discovered a photo of my dad, uncle, aunts, cousins, and me. I had no memory of this image being taken but realized it was from a family reunion I attended as a child. Connecting to my culture doesn’t always happen through physical interaction; it can also occur through my iPhone, digital media, and communication through text messages. With beadwork, I reconstruct memories—sometimes even remaking ones I had forgotten. This work reflects on how I exist in relation to the past while acknowledging the ways the past actively informs my present identity.
2013 Simmons Family Reunion | 120710 -
