Bodies of Work > Woman with Graves at Her Back

Woman with Graves at Her Back represents an ancestor who survived the journey across the Atlantic. This ancestor witnessed many tragic and heroic things and survived them. Her bravery and will to live is part of why I’m here today. This ancestor will have a permanent home in Olympia that honors her near the Salish Sea, where parts of my family have lived for four generations. The cavity below her ribs grows moss and is being tended by the community, like our relationship to land and ancestors of the past, present, and future.

Photo Credits: Misael Martínez and Harry Harrison Jr