memento mori - of what remains
death is an inevitable part of life -
transcending cultures, religions and centuries.
however much we differ from one another, the certainty of death unites us all.
death has always been a big part of my life.
changing over the years from biggest fear to an object of study to a strange source of comfort.
the way humans have dealt with death and by proxy grief, loss and tragedy evolved into ritualistic practices, dating back to the earliest days of humanity’s inception.
throughout history these rituals have changed: from death being a present part of life to now being an almost taboo topic in our world of felt immortality.
my collection explores the philosophy of memento mori („remember that you must die“) and its resulting effect on grieving, remembering and celebrating life.
instead of viewing death as a necessary evil of our lifecycles I aim to highlight the beautiful fallout it can have on us: celebrating the memories and lives of the ones who came before, immortalizing them by crafting mementos and viewing oneself as a part of a bigger picture.
highlighting how we add onto the things that were inherited to us and therefore continuing their memory while also changing it.
in the process of researching and designing I set a special focus on my paternal grandmother.
she had died long before the thought of my existence had ever entered anyones mind.
being told my whole life by those who knew her, that I resemble her in looks and certain characteristics piqued my interest in connecting with her post mortem.
throughout my whole process I got to know more and more about her, see and touch things she left behind and hear stories about her life.
this collection is a celebration of memories and their everlasting impact on life.
Contact
e-mail: bellalepique@gmail.com
instagram: bellasten.d