Too Big To Hold

“Too Big To Hold” is an exploration of memory, nostalgia, and transition told through the language of childhood objects. These works–created from reassembled wooden puzzles and woodcut paintings of vintage toys–mirror the way we piece together our past. We remember in fragments, feelings, and fleeting images. By combining these physical remnants of play with abstraction, I’m exploring the way our memories distort and shift over time.

Many of these objects are hand-me-downs, bridging the gap between my kid’s childhood and my own. Watching my children grow up and become more independent has been a profound experience; filled with both joy and a heavy sense of loss. I feel like I’m losing my childhood for a second time. The toys I once played with, and later watched them play with, have become artifacts—symbols of a time that no longer belongs to me. This transition brings with it an unsettling question: What now? 

My defining role as a parent is not the entirety of who I am; and while this show is deeply personal, I want it to resonate beyond my own experience. When we finally let go of something that once defined us, we’re left to confront what remains of ourselves outside of it. 

These transitions force us to question who we are and where we belong, to face the fear of what comes next when the shape of the past no longer fits. I invite anyone who sees this work to reflect on their own moments of transition—to consider what we carry with us, what we leave behind, and what we create in the space between.