A Personal Reliquary

This work is built entirely from discarded moments.

A Personal Reliquary is a multi-layered mixed-media assemblage that investigates the lifecycle of technology and the endurance of the handmade. The work is built upon a reclaimed canvas—a $3 thrifted print—which serves as the “ruin” or substrate for a high-texture strata landscape. By utilizing thread painting, scrap collage, and handmade paper, the piece creates a dimensional environment where discarded materials are elevated to the status of artifacts.

And the central figures? A “relic” Blackberry from 2006 and a handmade paper zeppelin – is the zeppelin dropping the BB as a bomb or a lifesaving communication device?

The central narrative features a “paper strata zeppelin,” meticulously crafted from handmade paper and hand-painted, suspended in the upper atmosphere of the composition. This vessel is depicted in the act of releasing a vintage 2006 Blackberry—a “relic” of a bygone digital ritual—suggesting a delivery that is ambiguous in its intent. Whether the device represents a bomb, relief supplies, or a discarded memory, its descent highlights the stark contrast between the ephemeral nature of mobile technology and the slow, deliberate process of artisanal creation.

It is a sanctuary for the obsolete, proving that everything—even a broken phone or a discarded painting—can have a second life.

The piece incorporates a rich variety of “relics” from past works, including fabric scraps and embellishments, to create a textured, archaeological surface. The work is encased in a leopard-print border that frames the scene as a window into a surreal, historical transition. It stands as a definitive exploration of what we keep, what we discard, and how the ruins of our digital past can be re-ritualized through fiber and form.