White Ashes

This piece is part of a series that I call "Out on the Ice" that represents my personal exploration into profound loss and vulnerability.

In White Ashes, there are fox tracks leading out of a shallow impression within an igloo containing a tiny cloth bean bag symbolizing my father's ashes. The title refers to a ancient text by the same name, written by a Chinese monk named Rennyo Shonin in the 15th century, which discusses the transient nature of life. The morning after my father's death, I was in my parent's home with family when we noticed that a fox was watching us from outside of a glass door. We watched, amazed, as the fox stood up and did a peculiar little dance for us before slowly trotting off into the woods. In Chinese mythology the fox is said to be a spirit guide that delivers the departed to the afterlife. Chinese mythology also identifies the fox as a messenger that is sent to inform the family of the recently departed that their loved one has arrived safely.