My research investigates intergenerational communication and the role of secrecy, considering its dual function as a protective mechanism and a barrier to knowledge. Central to this work is the concept of the ‘facade,’ realized as both an architectural exterior and a psychological construct. By exploring the perpetuation of generational trauma within matrilineal relationships, I acknowledge the home as the site in which connections are built. Within this space, I am examining how information is curated or withheld across female lineages.

Combining traditional craft practices with materials that reference domestic structures such as bedsheets, quilts, glass, metal, and wood, I recognize secret-keeping as a maternal role inherited through generations. I compare the restrained communication between myself and my surviving matriarchs with my own inaccessibility to a perfect family record. To illustrate this, I draw from my limited family archive consisting of makeshift reproductions of photographs that have been transmitted through text as well as conflicting oral histories. Translating these imperfect images into graphite drawings allows me to fabricate a relationship with my matriarchal ancestors, and contribute my own narrative to the unreliable family story.