In folklore, chimneys were often believed to be gateways through which spirits and unseen forces could enter the home. This work recreates objects historically concealed within chimneys—such as witches’ bottles, shoes, and iron nails—protective talismans intended to ward off evil. Cast in materials such as clay, wax, and resin, these objects evoke the belief that placing hidden items within the structure of the house could safeguard families from harm.

The process of uncovering hidden stories through genealogy, oral histories, and collected artifacts is central to my practice. I am interested in the tension between what is concealed and what is remembered. Are some truths too dangerous to expose directly, leading us to cloak them in folklore and superstition?

Through the symbols of chimneys and protective objects, this work visualizes fragments of ancestral narratives and the communities they came from. By engaging with histories shaped by colonialism, immigration, and gendered experience, the project asks how obscured histories continue to shape identity—and how reclaiming them may allow us to move forward.