Heirloom Art

"Individuals are often remembered and represented by tangible objects. Heirlooms, antiques, inheritances; these all being words used to describe what is left behind when a person ceases to exist. I reinterpret the heirloom by fusing these objects and their personal history so others can visualize the ghosts of memory residing in our pasts." —Ashley Gilreath

Ashley Gilreath is currently artist-in-residence at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Her medium is the past—working with stories, relics and reminders of her own family history, she creates reliquaries, time capsules and wearable art to preserve and display the lives of her ancestors.

"Having thoroughly researched my family's past, whether through taped interviews of elderly members or digging through generations old documents, I investigate the lost biographies of those who came before me...I see myself as the historian, the curator and sole executor of my genealogical heritage. Through excavation and research of family artifacts, I ultimately seek to preserve the individual's hidden narrative within my pieces."

I love the idea of turning family history into art. Rather than stored away in boxes on closet shelves, it's preserved, valued and shared! Thanks, Ashley, for your amazing artistic vision!

Link - Ashley Gilreath