Puck Sier

"My grandfather was a particularly headstrong man, a free-spirited bon vivant, and the creative one in the family. He was someone who shaped me into the woman I am becoming today.

41 is my grandfather’s birth year. Three years ago, I lost him after a brief illness to metastatic cancer. Since then, I’ve carried the number 41—tattooed on my arm in his own handwriting—with me always. It’s my lucky number, but above all, a tangible memory that will always be intertwined with me.

I had a close bond with my grandfather and grandmother. I spent part of my childhood with them, so they were not only my grandparents but also a second home.
He made flower arrangements from found materials and saw beauty in things others overlooked. It wasn’t until later that I realized how much that way of seeing the world has influenced me.

Because I have a hard time expressing my emotions, I look for ways to make feelings visible without fully capturing them in words. For this work, I translate my grandfather’s floral arrangements into metal. Whereas flowers are normally soft and fleeting, I make them hard and lasting. For me, the metal bears the weight of my grief.

My work '41' is a reflection of my grandfather and me. The piece that represents me bears the number "41"; the piece that represents him bears the word “meisje" (little girl), the name he always called me. The work is about loss, but also about the fear of letting someone fade from memory by no longer speaking of them. By giving him a place in my work, he remains present."

Contact:
pucksier@hotmail.com