The Shellfish Gatherer — The Work of Death

In “The Shellfish Gatherer: The Work of Death”, the arcanum of transformation takes shape in the hands of those who weave, sweep and gather in the mangrove. Here, an ending is not a static conclusion, but a daily act: nothing remains unscathed; everything burns in order to transform. For the artist, this encounter arose from a profound rupture with someone essential to her journey.

The central figure, appearing in vibrant yellow with raised arms supporting the imposing winged net, translates the very labour of shellfish gatherers as they retrieve what comes from the depths. At the same time, it evokes the opening of the portals of the psyche and the expansion that precedes the necessary collapse of old structures.

The water cutting through the warm earth reflects the flow of the tide and the rhythm of the unconscious, which rises, falls and carries away what has completed its cycle. Faced with this inevitable dissolution, the work returns a visceral question to us: how much are we willing to die in order to remain alive?