Olivia Daly

In Fragments: Handle with Care, I use images of my children’s first shoes placed on cracked willow-pattern plates, bringing together personal objects that carry emotional and generational significance. These two screen-printed works on cotton explore motherhood, memory, inheritance, the fragility of childhood, and preservation. The willow plates, passed down through family, become symbols of lineage, domestic history, and the memories held within everyday possessions.

The shifting scale within each composition changes the relationship between the shoes and their surroundings. My son’s shoes appear enlarged among the birds, while my daughter’s seem smaller among oversized flowers. These changes in scale reflect the emotional weight and fragility attached to objects and memories connected to childhood. Forget-me-not flowers frame both pieces, acting as symbols of remembrance, attachment, and the fear of forgetting.

The cracked plates are repaired with gold foil, referencing the Japanese practice of Kintsugi, where breakage is acknowledged rather than hidden. Through this visible act of care, repair, and preservation, I explore ideas of generational trauma and healing. I attempt to hold together memories and childhood moments that feel vulnerable to time and loss while considering the uncertainty of what the future may hold for a loved one. The fractures become part of the object’s history, reflecting the fragility and uncertainty within deep care and attachment while also suggesting resilience.