TOILET ROLL DIARIES (2020 / 2024)
During the COVID lockdown of 2020, I became interested in the surreal symbolism of the toilet roll. It became a coveted item. I began writing on sheets of my toilet roll, intrigued by the idea of treating it as a sacred scroll-like item by inscribing the memories of lockdown on them day by day. I encouraged my mother, also an artist, to do the same. Apart physically - but unified by our need to document and preserve memory. The pieces now exist side by side as connected tangible archive of our experiences during a time of separation, sharing our worries and moments of mindfulness. My mum was teaching in a school with vulnerable children, and dad was working as a care-worker in nursing homes. In 2024, on Covid National Day of Reflection we re-read our diaries for the first time, travelling back as we unravelled the rolls sheet by sheet.
