those who walked before her

She is home and back in Charleston; view her in person at Claudia Leonard Interiors! This piece/ recreation of "those who walked before her" just returned to our studio in pristine condition from Madrid, Spain, where she was chosen to exhibit at the ARCO International Contemporary Art Fair. Beloved by many, envisioned and then crafted into various conceptual sizes and shades, this original piece is ready to be added to a permanent collection.

four layers of plaster + concrete + sand + ground/powdered crystal quartz, jasper, and tiger eye grounds + Arizona rock pigment (Glen Canyon) on canvas housed in a handcrafted, natural maple wood frame. She is detailed with a piece of driftwood we foraged on Sullivan’s island, utilized as a loom I decorated delicately with wool yarn. She is an ode to our eternal fascination with the diverseness of different textures and materials harmoniously united together like they were aligned to cohabitate. 48 x 36 x 2.5.

For those who walked before her, whose footsteps etched a path of solace, transforming her view of loneliness. 

Those who told her it was safe to face that feeling of being utterly lost, a maze constructed from running from herself. Yet now she knew this feeling was not a tattoo inked only on her skin but a common thread in the fabric of many lives.

Those who shared the most intimate intrusive chatter, the cacophony of invasive thoughts, debating her most enormous fear, the dread of being imprisoned within her mind forever. They taught her to quiet the storm, to find the eye where peace resides.

Those who nurtured a deep, abiding love for themselves, so bountiful it overflowed, spilling into her heart, gifting her the warmth of shared strength.

Those who unveiled their darkest moments, offering the comfort of their survival, showing her that light can indeed pierce through the thickest shadows.

Those who knew the right decision was to walk away, who navigated the labyrinth of grief and emerged on the other side, whispering that the journey was worth the pain.

Those who fought for women they’d never met, drawing a roadmap on life’s complex terrain, a beacon for her when her energy waned.

Those who viewed their pain as a reference letter, a testament to resilience, lifted the weight of the unknown from her shoulders and shared the burden of existence.

Those who proved that healing is not a myth, breaking their silence to forge her strength, a chorus of voices blending into a symphony of survival, guiding her through the echoes of their pasts to a future radiant with hope.

- Written by Taylor Robinson.