Captivated by religious reliquaries, I’m fascinated with creating artwork that houses found objects. Historically, a reliquary is a shrine that contains relics, which are remains of holy saints. I remember attending Catholic Mass growing up and I recall two shrines that were on display, one containing a chunk of wood from Jesus’ manger and the other having a small portion of Mary’s cloak. These items were housed in beautiful, elaborately decorated vessels. These reliquaries from my childhood have become inspiration as I craft my own hallowed place for treasures that have been left behind for me to discover and cherish. In my work I create narratives using family heirlooms and prized found objects with imaginative and thoughtful attention to detail. With each piece that is created, I deliberately choose shapes, textures and colors that strengthen the storyline and history of the piece. By utilizing both traditional and contemporary metalsmithing techniques, I am able to craft ornately decorated work that gives each nostalgic item a permanent place to elevate their significance.