forget-me-not
Taking almost 2 years and a total of over 5 million embroidery stitches to create, “forget-me-not” is uou.label's most ambitious series to date.
Inspired by his late grandmother's battle with Alzheimer's disease, the six-part embroidery series focuses on a bed of forget-me-not flowers as they progressively wilt, break apart, and disappear to re-form fully bloomed again at peace as her memory.
uou. also interprets the life cycle of a forget-me-not flower as a metaphor for experiencing and embracing change in life.
- " It was originally inspired by my grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and as a child perceiving her losing touch with reality, it will always be about that, as I picture her at peace now.. But whilst creating the series, I found it took on a more personal meaning of self re-discovery and understanding how we all change as people throughout our lives.
To me, the flowers that rebloom as a memory at the end of the series end up now representing entering a new phase in life which is how I like to think is the same for my grandmother. "
Accompanying the release of 'forget-me-not' brings the release of the sister series 'not-forgotten', a progression of 'forget-me-not' and homage to embracing life's lessons and memories of passed loved ones, of which there will be over 20 works on display and available for purchase.
uou.label's "forget-me-not" exhibition opening night is at 7pm on the 22nd of November and the exhibition runs until the 20th of December at Maggies cafe, Dunedin.
Dedicated to and in loving memory of Hilda de Silva.
Forget-me-not Panel 1, 2024
Acrylic paint, ink and embroidery on cotton.
750 x 550 mm.
Not for sale.
In the first of the series the flowers are fully bloomed, full of life, and have a motion to them as if they’re being blown by the wind. I used red paint because I felt it gave the most vibrance for contrast, to give off the feel of something at it’s highest energy. If you look really closely, you may be able to see a very little bit of the background colour creeping into the embroidery work. This a major theme of this series, used to demonstrate a distortion or change of reality.
Forget-me-not Panel 2, 2024
Acrylic paint, ink and embroidery on cotton.
750 x 550 mm.
Not for sale.
The flowers have now begun to change in shape, full petals now start blending into the background. As with the first panel, the background changed from red to yellow. This background now changes from yellow to green to blue, to represent time passing. Towards the bottom of the painting the embroidery starts getting lost in the background representing the beginning of a blurred reality.
Forget-me-not Panel 3, 2024
Acrylic paint, ink and embroidery on cotton.
750 x 550 mm.
Not for sale.
The flowers are now lost to a fully blue background. Whilst still recognisable, they’re now becoming further wilted and fractured, representing losing touch with reality. You may also notice the fornice of the forget-me-not flower begins to fall away.
I started to introduce cotton thread as background colour for this piece to still hold the matte texture of the painted background.
Forget-me-not Panel 4, 2024
Acrylic paint, ink and embroidery on cotton.
750 x 550 mm.
Not for sale.
As time passes, the blue background progresses to white, you begin to see just how fractured the flowers have become. This specific piece took over 4 months to draw and a month and a half to embroider. Every stitch line has been hand placed.
You may also notice by now, the center of the flower which started as brown in panel 1, has now over time begun to fade to yellow. I have intended the anthers of the forget-me-not flower to represent soul.
Forget-me-not Panel 5, 2024
Acrylic paint, ink and embroidery on cotton.
750 x 550 mm.
Not for sale.
This is where the next life cycle of forget-me-not begins. The blue petals have now been reduced to single lines of thread and are now barely recogniseable. You will also notice white shards gradually appearing and transforming into full petals again. The flowers are starting to rebloom in anticipation for the next life cycle.
This piece involved over a million stitches, most of which are different shades of white cotton to match the background paint.
The painted background resolves into bare cotton to represent an end of an era.
Forget-me-not Panel 6, 2024
Embroidery on cotton.
750 x 550 mm.
Not for sale.
Fully bloomed again the flowers have begun a new cycle in life as a memory. You may notice if you step back, they’re the same flowers as panel 1.
Dedicated and in loving memory of Hilda de Silva.
making of forget-me-not
November 2022 - November 2024
this disc got a lot of use over the 2 years
Painted panels before everything. panel 6 not shown
panel 1 stage 1 bottom section
Panel 2 stage 1
Panel 1, Panel 2 - both stage one. also pictured is the test panel i did which convinced me to go ahead with the idea for forget-me-not.
Panel 4 stage 1
figuring out the growth pattern for panel 2. all the flowers grow and shift during the series
drawing process of panel 4
Panel 6 includes 8 different threads of whites, all intended to catch the light differently..
Panel 6
morning routine.. 6:30 bus, get to the studio by 7.
Panel 4, stage 3.
Painted panels after everything
whilst most of them got close to a million stitches, panel 5 managed to go over.
panel 4 stage 2
Panel 3 stage 2
Instagram content
Exhibition opening night - 22nd November 2024
Maggies cafe - Dunedin
