Lauren Russo

In my artwork Nonna’s House, I explore how cultural artifacts can lose meaning through overexposure. This idea stems from being raised by a first-generation Italian immigrant whose mourning traditions deeply shaped my childhood. I remember my nonna (Italian word for grandmother) singing Sicilian folk songs, teaching me Italian card games, and brewing espresso mid-day. These warm memories were set against the somber backdrop of her Catholic faith and the loss of her husband, my nonno Salvatore. My nonna is the textbook Italian widow, who mourns and honours her husband at every opportunity. Her home was filled with Christian symbols, but a small brass Pietà statue on a triangular base always stood out to me. As a child I saw it as a toy, but I only recently learned it had once rested on my nonno’s casket. This realization reshaped how I view the objects of my upbringing. Nonna’s House invites varied reactions depending on the viewer’s age and familiarity with Italian mourning customs. It asks: Are cultural artifacts inherently meaningful, or do we project meaning onto them? How does their interpretation shift over time? And what artifacts from your own life have you overlooked or misunderstood?