My painting, "as my mother used to say," is a visual exploration of the invisible threads that weave together the tapestry of a family's identity. It is a tribute to the matriarchs of my lineage, my great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother, whose collective wisdom forms the bedrock of who I am today. Through their portraits, I seek to honour not only their individual spirits but also the continuum of cultural knowledge they represent.
The central motif of the English tea cup saucers serves as a powerful symbol of this inheritance. These cherished objects are more than mere dishes; they are vessels of memory. They evoke the sacred ritual of tea time, a tradition in itself where women gather, stories are shared, and family history is lovingly preserved and passed down. It was in these moments that I learned the rhythms of my heritage.
This work is inspired by the phrase that echoes through my life: "as my mother used to say." This simple preamble introduces the short sayings, quotes, and songs that have been handed from woman to woman, generation to generation. I often wonder how far back these fragments of wisdom travel and how they have silently shaped my values, my resilience, and my understanding of the world. This painting is my meditation on that profound, unbroken chain of shared knowledge, celebrating the quiet, powerful force of women’s voices in preserving our cultural diversity and defining our shared humanity.