Day 242: Maria Lee

These are five images from "The Shape of Loss", a series of monotype prints combining  relief, stencil, image transfer, gouache and graphite. The work tells the story of loss through the lens of childhood memory and adult grief.

My father died of cancer when he was only 40, I was 8. Last summer I dreamt a rare dream of my father. He and I were flying together. My eyes were closed and the sensation was so lucid and visceral (Flying with eyes closed). The emergence of memories tied to loss is ever present and difficult. The print Onion is symbolic, "peeling back the layers" as it makes you cry, the work it takes to delve into one's past.

The whale appears throughout the series. It represents guidance and protection. The piece Breach was the last print in the series and represents breaking through, breaking out but ultimately it is about freedom.

Maria Lee

www.marialeeart.com