Bride in the Wilderness, Art Installation ~ Cecily Markham

Bride in the Wilderness is an art installation designed to give witness to and honor the wounds and illuminations of seasons of abandonment and my wilderness experience. It was alchemized from a dream I had. In the dream, I was a bride walking in a wilderness that offered no signs of direction. I was compelled to walk forward into an unknown land as dry, dusty winds swirled around me, weaving and merging with the silk folds of my wedding dress.

Some spiritual communities believe that the very witness of pain allows the abandoned one to release pain. In this time of global woundedness, it is my hope viewers will find Bride in the Wilderness an encouraging, inspiring experience.

I dedicate Bride in the Wilderness to all women and girls across our world who have suffered abandonment and deep loss and who have found their way out of darkness. Feminine empowerment, both individually and collectively, offers us the capacity to keep breathing, reaching and moving forward, utterly vulnerable yet unutterably strong, through this liminal journey, the wilderness experience. Let us call to our wounds, to the arresting power of hope, to become our healing.

Cecily Markham, award-winning poet, painter, performance artist, integrated arts educator & presenter.

cecilymarkham@gmail.com

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