About Memento Mori (Vanitas)

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I created this series out of the Plague of the 21st century. As with traditional Memento Mori | Vanitas tropes of the past, the imagery is steeped in death. Symbolism to remind the viewer of the inevitability of death and the transience of life. During the lockdowns in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak I wanted a way to stay creative and practice my craft. I pulled my inspiration from paintings from the 17th - 19th centuries. Often these paintings included symbols such as the hour glass, skulls and bones or wilting flowers. This symbolism was there to force the viewer to confront the certainty of death and the futility of pleasure.