Quantity selected exceeds current stock
Dignity - Inherent nobility and worth
Death is a subject that is rarely discussed and it is a purely a personal experience. You are never really prepared to say goodbye, even when you know it’s coming.
Carla's Dad was a quiet man. She guess you could say old-fashioned. He knew who he was, stood by his values she can only describe as dignity, and in the ageing process, they never changed.
As her Dad’s days came closer and closer to the end, she saw the noble acts in her Dad’s small gestures. Sitting on the side of the bed to button his freshly pressed shirt, his once tall back now curved. In his good manners, he extended to those who helped him, and the concentrated effort it took to advise her Mum on subjects he knew backwards.
Just like this anemone she calls Dignity that stands tall with a broken wing, her Father, for those who knew him, on the outside was a shadow of his younger self. His inner gold, like the embroidered stamens of this flower, was a lifetime of knowledge, experience, talent, and wisdom that he humbly would share when asked for.
Her Dad was never a big talker but he did have one last wish, and that was to die at home. After a lifetime of showing others respect and honoring his word, They came together as a family to return the favour and keep our promise to him. And as he lived his life, her Dad farewelled this world and greeted death with the dignity he had so dearly valued.
ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF LIVING AND DYING PROJECT
This project was born out of grief, a time when her Father was dying and the world had been locked down in 2020.
For weeks, her only escape was a handful of flowers, a piece of black cardboard, and a small space.
Some of her flowers were in the stages of dying, just like her Father. She studied them curiously as they changed shape and form, finding them enchanting just as they were when they were in full bloom. She saw her Father as an old man at the end of his life, still dignified, as the lines blurred with the tall, handsome man she knew as a child.
She sat embroidering her flowers with her Father, sharing stories, memories, laughter, and tears as he gently surrendered to saying goodbye. She stitched little bits of gold on a leaf or a stamen, like one would embellish a couture gown, or to pay her respects to the creativity of Mother Nature. In each gold stitch, our stories — our past, the present, the old, the new, and the heartbreak of passing — were sewn together.
In the heightened awareness of death, the smallest things seemed to hold great wonder. She saw life in all its stages as ethereal and fragile, and discovered even in dying, in heartbreaking circumstances, there can be beauty, grace, and dignity.
Our Collaboration
A project that started out as something personal in a time of grief for Carla Coulson found a second life when I suggested a collaboration.
She is a longtime super fan of my brand Luz Editions and my work and devotion to handmade artisanal products that are meaningful pieces. Carla loved the idea of creating a piece of art on a different medium, exploring a new material by printing the images of The Beauty of Living and Dying onto linen. Together we worked to create a very limited edition precious artwork that had a story and meaning, giving a new life and a voice to a subject rarely discussed or celebrated, Dying.
The project took on an even deeper meaning when an elderly group of women known as A Avó Veio Trabalhar (Grandmas are Coming to Work) joined ranks and became involved to handstitch gold thread onto selected parts of the linen flower images.
Their story is amazing, like many elderly people full of creativity, wit, wisdom, experience, and energy; this group of grandmas said no to becoming overlooked and obsolete, and banded together to create a dynamic workroom taking on handmade projects, sharing, teaching, and passing on the know-how of techniques to newcomers.
Known as ‘specialists in optimism’, with slogans such as ‘Old is the new young’ and ‘Grandma is not for sale but the products she makes are,’ we had all the ingredients to make a beautiful piece of art, a keepsake that maybe would touch others who too had their own experience of a loved one passing or simply a piece of beauty to live with daily.
So many wonderful artisanal ingredients came together: Carla's magnificent photographs, my vision my vision for elevating and interpreting each image screen printed onto linen, no two the same, leaves stitched around the edge to create a beautiful border, the Grandmas’ careful hands and stitches embellishing and beautifying, and the linen's earthy, organic appearance lending a timeless quality to the images of this project.
We hope you love them and decide to treasure them as we do.
ABOUT THE PRODUCT
No two pieces of linen are the same, therefore the give and take between the image and the texture creates a mystical layer, kind of like the process of working in the darkroom where chance is also involved, and each linen artwork is slightly different to the next one.
The linen fabric softens sharp edges and blends colors subtly, giving the piece a warm, lived-in feel, creating a sense of authenticity, nostalgia, and transmission just like the passing of a loved one.
The pieces can be hung in your home using their beautiful black tabs or pressed and framed as you would do with any piece of precious artwork. As it has been hand embroidered with love, we don’t recommend using it as a tea towel as it is tender and made with love.
- 70 x 47 cm
- 100% Linen, 180gsm
- Screen printed and hand stitched in Portugal
Care Instructions
This linen art print is dry clean only and should not be washed. If you wish to smooth out creases before framing, a gentle steam or a light press with a low iron will restore its finish beautifully.
SPECIAL OFFER:
Purchase 2 or more linen art prints and receive 15% off your order.
Discount automatically applied at checkout.
⚠️ Important Shipping Notice for US Customers:
Please note that the linen artwork products are produced and shipped from Portugal. Due to the current suspension of postal services from Portugal to the United States, I am unable to ship linen artwork orders to the USA at this time. I appreciate your understanding and will update this page as soon as service resumes.
If you live in the USA and would like to purchase a linen artwork or place one on hold, please contact me by mail here. I'll be happy to assist you and keep your piece reserved until shipping resumes.
