MOMENTS IN GRIEF
Introducing my newest collection offering “Moments In Grief”. This collection is a continuation of my ongoing series “A Mother’s Journey,” which are abstract explorations of some of the common emotions I have been navigating since becoming a mom almost 2 years ago now! (Whew!)
”Moments In Grief” explores what is lost and shifted when one becomes a parent. Whether it’s your old body, the level of freedom you used to have, the way your relationships change with your significant other, your family, and even your friends, the new person you have to become can be hard to accept and embrace.
This collection acts as a reminder that these feelings are valid and need to be expressed so that they can be released. Honoring the emotions that come with becoming a parent is an important way to show up as the best parent you can be.
Since completing the collection and debuting it at various in-person markets and exhibits the past month or so, the primary symbolism and meaning behind the collection has evolved. I’ve talked with many people, including parents who have shared stories of losing children, not being able to have children, and grief in general. These conversations further opened my eyes to how grief impacts us all in many different ways. This narrative expansion is exactly the point of this series. And it was profound to witness how my work opened up those conversations and heavily resonated with people who have experienced grief.
The colors in the paintings represent how we express grief throughout the world. For example, in Western cultures such as the USA, black is often used to express grief. In Eastern cultures such as Japan and China, the color white is used, and so on. Other colors used in the work, such as the gold and the grey/green colors, represent joy, acceptance, becoming at peace with my new reality, and highlighting what is gained when becoming a parent.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nailah Ali is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Minnesota. The Coping Nook, an extension of her design practice Coping Creative, is where her tangible creative ventures take form.
She crafts multi-dimensional abstract worlds that explore themes of self-discovery, nuances of human nature, and vulnerability as an ambitious black woman who holds many roles.
Grounded in intuition, her work resists the pull of constant digital noise, embracing art as a tool for maintaining balance, humanity, freedom of expression, and self-discovery.
Her ultimate goal as an artist is to maintain a tangible connection to her humanity in a digital world. It is to maintain some level of freedom in a society always trying to strip it away. Freedom to be present with her daughter and family. Freedom to engage with and participate more in her community. Freedom to be regularly in tune with her inner child.