Remnants of Elsewhere

This pair of collages explores the emotional impact of displacement and nostalgia using NZ stamps collected by my mother.
She emigrated from the UK to NZ in the ’50s, but returned to London in ’69, whilst pregnant with me. Her stamp collection and letters served as melancholy souvenirs of the place she loved but left behind.
When I inherited them, they connected me to her yearning for home.

Collaged vintage papers including a receipt album, postcards, envelopes, and stamps. Hand-cut rubber stamps, pencil marks and drawings with inks.
H275mm x W220mm

Remnants of Elsewhere #1
was exhibited at Souvenir, Albany Airport, Albany, NY, USA.
Jun 30 through Dec 27, 2023, as part of Cut Me Up Magazine’s publication of issue no.11

Souvenir was conceived and curated by Albany Airport Art & Culture Program Director Kathy Greenwood upon an invitation from Cut Me Up’s Andrea Burgay, and this is the first in-person exhibition of the magazine’s entries. The exhibition includes the 18 artists selected for the print edition of Issue 11, as well as six additional artists from the call’s pool of submissions. In the spirit of offering a more expansive view of souvenirs, this exhibition also includes some specially invited guests.
Through exhibitions presented in the Albany International Airport Gallery and Concourse A Gallery, the Exhibition Case Program, large-scale installations, free public programs and tours, the Art & Culture Program has extended the reach of area artists and museums to an audience of more than three million people each year.