'128oz'
Yaudi
limited edition manual screen print on acid free paper
18 x 24"

Producing '128oz' served as an art therapy exercise for validating the long-term eff­ects of COVID-19. At this point in time, pro­cessing the pan­demic's mental re­percussions has been superseded by the demands of the "new normal." There is no vaccine for your trauma; go back to work.

Unprocessed experiences from lockdown are subject to compartmentalization, stacked onto a growing Jenga tower of subconscious memories. But running into a reminder from the pandemic (a masked pedestrian, a faded X on the sidewalk, a reminder of the deceased…) drops a block back into consciousness.

To compartment­alize a memory is to hastily toss the block to the top of the tower. To pro­cess is to pause and strategically place the memory inside the tower's foundation. A hasty build inevitably leads to a top-heavy tower incapable of supporting its own weight. Processing each block as they fall creates a pyramid.

'128oz' is a personal reminder to priori­tize self-care. Bet­ween 2020-2021 the amount of water I required to offset months of respir­atory fatigue incr­eased from four cups to what is now a gallon per day. A consistent need to rehydrate reminds me to treat my body as an elder not as a machine. Whether we are processing mental trauma or accommodating physical setbacks, we are responsible for building our own support system.