Inheritance

About the work

Inheritance is is a sculptural examination of smoking/vaping, the body and the traces people leave behind. I filled the anatomical lung with discarded cigarette packets I collected from the streets. Each packet was once owned by someone, used and then thrown away, but the residue of that experience can remain in the body long after the packet itself has disappeared. The work began with a tobacco tin that belonged to my grandfather, a Dutch artist who died from cancer. This made me think about how ordinary objects can carry personal histories and connections between generations. I became interested in the different designs, languages and branding on the packets I collected, and what they might represent about the people who once owned them. Placing the packets inside the lungs changes how they are seen. They become part of the body, suggesting how something that seems disposable can leave a lasting trace.