MARTA + DAURO Acrylic, trace paper, pencil, staples and drafting tape on paper, 8 x 10 inches

This piece explores my relationship with my mother- and father-in-law, both of whom I will never get to meet. With this piece of art, I ask how to get to know someone who has passed long after their time on this earth - how to communicate my love for the person they reared, how to prove to them that the arms that hold him are strong and kind. I emphasize the importance of reverence regardless of physical presence, and I demonstrate this by lighting a candle on every birthday, by having warm thoughts every time I peel an orange, and by making art with their likeness to adorn the loving home I have made with their son.