Roots (2020)
Roots is about a recurring dream I experienced as a child and throughout my life. The setting is often different, reasoning too, but all of my teeth fall from my mouth. First, it causes me to panic and fill with shame, and then the height of those emotions wakes me up every time. Whether you believe in oneirology or not, the dream comes back when life feels out of my control, as I have issues with needing control to feel safe.
Pictured the teeth are in my mouth and hands; these are my baby teeth. I’ve kept them and made jewelry out of them since I still cling to them as my possession. The decision to use my baby teeth connects back to the title and what I feel is the underlying reason for this dream beginning. Our roots are disconnected as we lose our baby teeth; around the same time, when I was 11 years old, my father passed away.