Coco (2021)
In 2021, the remains of 215 children were discovered buried underneath the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Following this discovery, alongside the excavation of more former residential schools welding similar findings, a national solidarity movement formed. Canadians placed stuffed bears in their windows, grieving the horrors of genocide together.
Among those placing the bears was my Grandma Spohn, a residential school survivor herself, displaying Coco. Coco, a ratty brown teddy bear, was gifted to my uncle. It was later passed to my dad, then his sister. When I was born, it was passed to me. I added the red heart sweater, adding a new generational touch.
Coco has become a symbol of my family's journey with intergenerational healing, a symbol of hope that I wish to spread in my artwork.
