These would be the first works introducing my new body of work, What Was Once Held, What Now Remains

“The prayer and The dinner are based on my last memories of my aunt, Precious, before she passed away during Covid.

The scene captures a moment of collective prayer before dinner, a ritual that carried a deep sense of presence, authority, and familial connection.

Precious was the eldest in the family. Strong, outspoken, and deeply protective of those she loved, she held a natural authority within the household.

Raised by her grandmother in Jamaica, much like my father, the two shared a particularly close bond. He looked up to her deeply, and continues to do so.

Entering her home meant entering her world: her rules, her rhythm, her way of gathering people together. Even my father’s Jamaican accent seemed to return more strongly in her presence, as though parts of identity and memory resurfaced through her.

The work reflects on the role women often occupy as cultural anchors within family structures.”
Laetitzia Campbell