Human Desire Triptych

“being” “connection” “peace”

hand etched mirror, joint compound, plaster, maad seeds, tamarind seeds, soot, mussel shells, clam shells, sea urchin spines, feather trim, beaded trim, faux leather trim, cowrie shells, enamel paint

19” x 27”

Here, mirrors framed in a bed of mussel shells, cowrie shells, and fragments of faces, combine Wolof words and their translations in this script to create open-ended narratives. The words on each mirror contain a portion of a phrase that, when combined, reads what we all want and need as humans on this plane in three different languages. 

Regardless of origin, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity, at our core, we all desire the same things: “peace,” “being,” and “connection.” With “being” and “connection,” the two mirrors open the triptych the way we each begin: born of the blending of two people, life, love, and relating to others are the first things we learn. “Peace” comes at a cost, and that price is conflict, both inter- and intrapersonal. This final mirror bears cracks that reflect this idea, emphasising that “peace” is the hardest of the three for humanity to grasp.