Ancestral Lines-Inherited ties

As a first-generation Belgian born abroad, I honor my heritage through an installation inspired by Belgium’s rich textile traditions. At its heart is an antique family bed, a symbol of generational continuity, draped with a lace cover paying tribute to Belgian craftsmanship.

Family photographs, both sharp and faded, are printed on canvas and embroidered with red thread into the lace, mirroring Brugge lace patterns and evoking memory’s fragility. The red thread courses through the installation like lifeblood, symbolizing the veins that connect family members across time and space, and binding them through shared bloodlines and emotional heritage. Red bows and a continuous woolen thread weave through the elements, reinforcing the strength of familial bonds and the inescapable ties of ancestry.

This work invites reflection on the intersections of heritage, identity, and artistic legacy.

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