Dust to Dust, an interactive installation as part of The Discarded Ones exhibition at Ohio University Southern, 2016.

Kolkata, India is famous for its street-side tea served in small, handmade clay cups.  Treated as disposables, what once came from the earth returns back to that place when drinkers casually toss their cup after the final sip, fracturing it upon the ground. During my stay in the city, I could never once bear to smash my cup upon the ground; instead discreetly placing the used cup within my bag.  I saw great beauty within each chai cup which embodied its own character as it bore the marks of its maker. 

As with much of my work, this collection grew thick with symbolism.  I began to imprint memories into certain cups- one with a burn mark, another with a noticeable lipstick impression- branding them with a particular moment in time.

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I invite you to find one cup which especially speaks to you and shatter it on the gallery floor- if you can.