Remembering Papa

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Papa is my mother’s family name and goes back several generations. In fact, my maternal grandparents both shared the last name of Papa. It’s a surname that I have a profound love and respect for and with which I most identify. It provides a sense of belonging and a deep-rooted connection to my mother’s family, who had a significant impact in shaping the person I have become.

 Through the years, I’ve acquired an archive of family photos from relatives. Ancestors that came before me, some of which I cannot identify nor ask anyone about, so the memories the photos once represented are now lost. My generation serves as the memory keepers for the Papa legacy. With that comes an unspoken obligation to preserve the values instilled, the lessons learned, the stories told, and the traditions shared with the new generation of Papa. We share these stories and traditions as a reminder that memorialization while recalling the past, is more about not being forgotten or remembered at all.

Remembering Papa focuses on the relationship between the family archive and personal memory. It uses assemblage as narrative to heighten and enliven the family portrait as both a memorial function, a declaration of love for those who came before, and a legacy for remembrance to be passed down.