SOMEHOW, YOU ARE STILL HERE, 2026

The project was created in memory of Alek - an extraordinary girl who was only twenty-two years old when she passed away. The entire project took nearly a year to complete, involving close collaboration with Alek’s parents and sister. The design—including all its symbolism—as well as the gathering, selection, and preparation of all its components evolved into a process of mourning and healing, thanks to the parents’ great dedication and active participation. Alek often sat under the tree in the garden, watching the play of light and the glimmering through the leaves. The twenty-two scattered rose petals refer to the twenty-two years she lived.

The installation - SOMEHOW YOU ARE STILL HERE (2026) - consists of seemingly insignificant natural elements, cast in bronze and scattered around. Several elements were placed at other locations as well, creating a presence elsewhere, and some were portable which meant they could even be taken along. A few bronze elements were painted, while others were casually adorned with rough crystals.

SOMEHOW YOU ARE STILL HERE (2026) captures the different stages of blooming. It explores the tension between transience and permanence, fragility and resilience, and from being neglected to being remembered.