The Crossing

Free hand sculpted and engraved glass, acrylic, gold leaf, resin. Collaboration with Marta Byrdziak.
2021. 40cm H x 70cm W x 90cm D.

Photo: Mike Van Cleven                             

Each year thousands of people die crossing a border in search of a better life, either fleeing from a dangerous situation or seeking financial security for their families. In 2020, a photo emerged of the lifeless bodies of a father and his toddler daughter, drowned crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico, the United States. Their tragic end was a reminder of the risks migrants face on their journeys across political borders, a reminder that was swiftly forgotten. The Crossing is a memorial to those who have lost their lives searching for sanctuary, of those who have perished because of feudal immigration laws made by those who have benefited most from exploitative systems.

The skulls are engraved in delft blue and white, each of different sizes in reference to a parent and child. The engravings on the larger skull reveal imagery of ignorant and stereotypical views of immigrants, depicting violence and criminality, and the border wall between the US and Mexico. The engravings on the smaller skull reveal imagery of childish innocence and reference the migrant detention centers of the U.S. where children are separated from their families.