Still life' a subject I've previously lamented as boring and stale in my own artistic practice, bottles and fruit weren't my thing. However after beginning research into end of life care, Non-Western death ritual and the psychology of death. I Investigated life and death masks, analysed new forms of body disposal, had frank conversations about death with people in my life. Tactile objects became important symbols of how we memorialise our dead. I’ve finally found something avid in relics.

Relics, the term, in my past experience were linked solely to catholic saints body bits, embellished in gold and jewel for status - but I now know this is one small facet of how relic can be viewed. Introspecting on my new knowledge I paid tribute to my deceased grandparents in painting a composition of ice cream scoop, fridge magnet, water bottle, lolly jar and dictionary(held together by duct tape). This piece following the conventions of realism completely transformed my opinions on Still Life as finding emotional connection transformed these objects into portraits of people I love.

Relics are an important human reminder of intentionality, any object can be esteemed or venerated. These survivors of the end of a life, the cleanup and disposal after inevitable practicalities of death can bring forward our strength of our relationships, and hopefully demystify death to a presence that is manageable with the support of others in our lives.