Remain

Since 2017, we have lived in the Arabian desert. A drive down the highway yields many long stretches of sand, dust, nothingness. It is a truly humbling experience.

I found my first skull on the doorstep of a friend's house — their memento from a desert expedition. After finishing the first painting, another friend enthusiastically shared her assortment, beaming “Not many people appreciate the skull collection.” What ensued were several treasure hunts in the sandy “empty quarters” as well as kind loans from osteo-enthusiasts in our community.

The Remain series explores many seemingly paradoxical themes: beauty, morbidity, impermanence, life, death; as well as the striking similarities that unite all living creatures. It examines the existential question, “What remains after life?”

– Robyn Palescandolo