A relic is defined as “an object, custom, or belief that has survived from an earlier time but is now outmoded.” A reliquary is a container for a relic object. A relic, in religious terms, refers to the physical remains of a saint or other important religious figure, such as bone fragments, pieces of clothing or any other personal objects. These relics were used by various religions throughout history to attract the faithful to the church, temple or shrine. Because of their power and relative rarity, many relics were “faked’ in order to increase the head count, so to speak. 

The concept for my Reliquary Series came to me in 2010, after frequent trips to the Goodwill. I was always on the hunt for antique and vintage 'gems' sitting unappreciated on the bric-a-brac shelves - small items that had become lost to time, many perfectly illustrating the era from which they came. I noticed as well the many finely crafted metalwork pieces, such as bowls, platters, lamps, and candlestick holders, made of brass, copper or silver plate. It dawned on me these could be re-purposed to assemble “appropriate” housing for my accumulating gems from the past. I decided to mimic the traditional reliquary presentations. But instead of housing holy relics, my reliquaries would house select examples from my collection. In keeping with the “fake” nature of many religious relics, my contemporary relics are given false attributions - in many cases presented with a humorous edge.