Water will always be nostalgic for me, its what divides me from where I am in Canada and where my home is, Italy. Whenever it rains, it makes me feel even more homesick. Elements of water are present within the print, such as the streaks behind the angel head, resembling the watermarks that are seen on a building after it rains. The words read "yesterday it rained, and I feel your absence in the puddles". These words are a testament to how I felt after a rainstorm; aware of elements that remind me of home, yet I am not there.
Dreams of the Tiber
Lithograph, 9" x 14", 2025
"Dreams of the Tiber" attempts to explore the complicated emotions of living in two different countries. My family and closest friends live in Italy, while I live in Canada. The words translate to "yesterday it rained, and I feel your absence in the puddles". I find that the idea of water and puddles as nostalgic metaphor for longing, and the visual of water can be seen in the textured streaks behind the angel's head, similar to water marks that are present under windowsills after rainfall. The angel is a representation of my cultural heritage to Italy, seen in many Italian cathedrals. It also symbolizes innocence, which I felt I abandoned after I left home. A ultimate testament to the unfamiliarity that is felt as an immigrant, depicting the feeling one feels when there heart and soul is neither here nor there.
