“When Grief is Your Best Friend” was my first solo exhibition at the Braddock Carnegie Library in 2019.
The exhibition was a reflection of how any good I experienced came from something – not. so. good. Over the years, I’ve made friends with Grief. I’ve come to appreciate Grief’s theatrical nature and silliness; spontaneity and flirtatiousness. If my heart didn’t ache so bad, it’d be hard for me not to fall in love with Grief.
There are moments when I can feel the whole world laugh and cry and scream and snicker all at the same time. When things go silent, the abandonment overwhelms me, so I fill the void with snares, wails, and rosaries. I feel things that aren’t there, I think.
Beeswax, watercolor and acrylic on paper
Watercolor, Silk Screen, Beeswax, collage on paper
Digital print and Acrylic on photo paper
Charcoal and Beeswax on paper
Digital print on photo paper
Photos from the opening:
Art talk 
Looking at temp tatoos 
Sugar skull decorating 
dance party
Special thanks to Natalia Gomez for documenting this wonderful evening.
Thank you to the supportive team at the library, namely Ms. Mary Carey, Dana Bishop-Root, Lauren Beachom, and Rachel Brehm. The opening was an event filled with tenderness and love as I shared my journey with Grief and talked about the pieces. Food and beverage from Brassero Grill and Brew Gentlemen – so delicious! Birthday tunes by DJ Shoe, thank you!
Here’s to our best friends and the stories we share.