Jessica Kanaley

In this body of work, I reflect on the deeply personal connections that shaped my childhood and continue to influence my practice today. Growing up, I was fortunate to spend summers and school vacations with my grandparents, immersed in their stories and surrounded by the treasures they collected from a lifetime of travel. A wooden corner cabinet in their home held souvenirs from faraway places; ceramic bells, wooden toys, paper fans, and embroidered garments, each a window to a culture I had yet to know. After a trip to Latin America, my grandparents brought me a gift, worry dolls. Tiny cloth figures, wrapped in vibrant fabrics, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. As lore goes anxious children whisper their worries to the dolls and tuck them beneath their pillows. By morning, the dolls have taken their worries away. Now an adult, this memory resonates with new meaning. The worries of childhood have grown alongside me, evolving with the weight of responsibilities and uncertainties in the future of our planet. Yet, artistic practice remains a grounding force. Working with clay offers an anchor to the present moment- a way to engage mindfulness. This series, my interpretation of worry dolls, explores the intersection of past and present, anxiety and solace. The impetus of this project was to create one doll per week as an act of making without attachment to outcome—a meditative rhythm designed to foster intentionality and presence. Though these clay worry dolls may not fit beneath a pillow, they hold a similar magic. They remind us that even as adults, we can find ways to unburden ourselves—to hold space for both the weight of our worries and the lightness of release. Jessie Kanaley is a maker in the Finger Lakes region of New York. She is employed as an eLearning Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs and volunteers with the Cornell Cooperative Extension as a master gardener.
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Lucky

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Lucky

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Lucky

$120.00


 

Lucky

$120.00




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