AFTER DEATH

 

Drawing from my personal experience of emigration, I reflect on my family's cultural heritage, the detachment from roots, the merging of national identities, and the deep sadness of losing my father.

 

In my family, the blending of Russian and Georgian (Caucasian) customs is expressed through the art of embroidery. This reflective form of art, traditionally practiced by women, has proven to be incredibly therapeutic. It has allowed me to revisit childhood memories associated with encounters with mortality.

 

The symbol of the goat, as the first memory of death, traditionally slaughtered in Georgia before a significant family celebration, is intertwined in the embroidery. The merging of Russian and Georgian ornaments in the embroidery represents the poignant story of my father's illness and passing.