LIGHTING CANDLES
This triptych is one of the only few in the gallery where the photos presented are ones I took myself. Serving as both the orchestrator of the event and the photographer, I immersed myself in the roles of host and documentarian—a spontaneous and intimate three-person event set against the unknown backdrop of my parent’s dining room.
I purchased a ten-dollar cake from the Food4Less around the corner and decor from the 99 Cent Only store, which was just announced to be closing every single one of its locations due to inflation post-COVID. The 99 manages to feel stuck in time, as its interiors are frozen in an era and occasionally offer deadstock and forgotten merchandise from the late 2000s. The places where I purchase my supplies are important, as it felt necessary to do it the way my mother used to.
The scene unfolds, with the focal point being the adorned table. The funky table cover and cheap party blowers take the stage with the sprinkled cake as it is lit and sliced. The three duo-toned images were screenprinted on ceramic tile, as these moments are now stained and a part of the architectural material. The home is a silent witness to the emotions and experiences that happen within it.
Cutting the cake at a birthday party is essential to the timeline. It is the only part during the celebration where all guests unite, as the attention is directly on an honored person. The birthday cake is the centerpiece of festivities, as it symbolizes the passage of time, shared connections, and the celebration of existence itself.
The triptych commands attention with its grand scale, each measuring four by five feet as they stand closely to each other. Each tile in the work was separately printed on and later pieced together like a puzzle. Grout hold–s the tiles in place, creating a grid like a dancefloor. The tiles were laser etched, cutting out stars like metallicconfetti, warping and reflecting shimmering fragments of light.