The piece “Irene’s Kitchen” was made as an homage to my grandmother and her kitchen. I have such fond memories of spending time with Grandma in her kitchen. Memories of watching her prepare home cooked meals fresh from the garden, helping her bake cookies, and playing in my dollhouse as she worked her culinary magic. My grandmother’s kitchen and my grandparents’ home, in the West End of Winnipeg, was full of little treasures that I loved examining. These treasures held stories that were dear to their hearts. Pieces of Chinaware which had been passed down from ancestors, jelly molds that had been given as gifts, figurines of animals which had been collected on their holidays, knickknacks that held the stories of their history as a couple and a family. I loved examining these objects. In the sculpture, “Irene’s Kitchen,” I wanted the piece to be a celebration of these objects and explore their relationship to my grandmother’s kitchen, and my grandparents house.
