Exploring identities and stories of my indigenous and Italian family heritage

I'm fascinated by the simplicity of a person’s legacy, often distilled into two certificates: birth and death.

In this piece, I begin with a personal manifesto, akin to those proclaimed in city halls. Can words truly define my identity, from my origin to my eventual destination?

You see, my indigenous great nan’s life mostly exists through a few stories passed down. Meanwhile, on my Italian side, a few certificates and even pictures exist. These documents and images provide a contrasting narrative to my verbal indigenous heritage, adding layers to my family’s journey through time and across continents. There was also an artist in the early 1900s, the death certificate says. What was he into? Did he contemplate his own family story, perhaps with a melancholic view of the old Italy?

As the certificates are silent, providing only traces of full lives, I start a painting, where I write my own certificate, in a little more detail, only to cover it with fresh paint.