10 months in the making.
1,344 paper cranes.
For those that have been following at @melindakeilyquilts you’ll know each individual crane symbolises a day my Grandfather, Joe, was enlisted in WWII, 1344 days. He fought in Rabaul, Papau New Guinea, against the Japanese which is why I chose paper cranes over my usual medium of textiles.
I made this to honour Joe’s story and the legacy of trauma it left within our family system. As is now confirmed through research generational traumas are inherited down the family line until they can be witnessed in their truth. So I offer it here to be seen and held in all it’s complexity, with great compassion.
This project has also been a way to talk to my son about the impact of war and what it decimates on an individual, family and societal level.
In our current culture where gaming, social media, constant news feeds and clever Defence Force marketing saturate the consciousness of our youth it’s important to reflect on the cost of war. C-PTSD, Defence & Veteran suicide, displacement, death & decimation, mutilation, the power of supremacist systems to suppress, ethicacy & arms dealing by those in power. These are all aspects of war that are important to explore with our youth.
How do we hold space for the full catastrophe of war so we can come to a greater understanding of how our lives are implicated, personally & as a collective?
I don’t profess to have the answers. This project enabled me to hold the questions so greater understanding can emerge in my system.
This bundle of beauty is intertwined with photos, letters & war documents of Joe’s. The joy & beauty helped me to hold the heavy load. An ancient Japanese legend says that anyone who folds 1,000 origami cranes will be granted happiness and eternal good luck. I wish this for all individuals, families and cultures affected by war and oppressive systems, so that generational wounds can heal and cultures can begin to truly unite.
#familyconstellations #papercrane #wwii #bigquestions