Scream

Medium

String

Dimensions

48"H × 36"W

Created in the aftermath of my husband’s death, this work examines grief as both a physical and emotional force. Constructed from red thread, the portrait exists in a state of tension between presence and absence, reflecting the experience of living with a loss that is simultaneously invisible and all-consuming. The figure emerges through fragmented lines and suspended strands rather than complete form. Parts of the face are defined while others dissolve into open space, mirroring the disorientation that accompanies profound grief. Identity, memory, and emotion become fractured, leaving behind only fragments that struggle to reconnect into something whole. The open mouth serves as a focal point within the composition—a silent scream, a cry of anguish, a breath taken in survival, or an attempt to speak what cannot truly be expressed. Thread is central to my practice because it embodies contradiction. It can bind together, repair, and strengthen, yet it can also unravel, break, and expose vulnerability. In this work, the red thread functions as a metaphor for the bonds of love that continue beyond death. The strands become visual traces of connection, memory, and longing, extending beyond the boundaries of the portrait much as grief extends beyond a single moment. The loose ends remain intentionally visible, acknowledging that loss is not something that can be neatly resolved or completed. The repetitive act of stitching became a form of endurance during the making of this piece. Each stitch records time spent moving through grief, transforming sorrow into a physical mark. The process was not an attempt to heal or find closure, but rather an act of witnessing—to acknowledge the pain of loss while continuing forward one stitch at a time. At its core, this work is about the space left behind when someone deeply loved is no longer present. It speaks to the rawness of mourning, the fragmentation of self that can follow loss, and the enduring connections that remain even after death. Through thread, tension, and absence, the portrait becomes both a personal expression of grief and an invitation for viewers to reflect on their own experiences of love, memory, and survival. The portrait is not a depiction of grief itself, but of what remains when grief becomes woven into the fabric of everyday existence.