PASSING TIME

In the 1960s my grandmother, a British Army widow and mother of eight, sat in her empty nest and played cards, board games, bingo and backed the horses. She called it ‘Passing Time’.

All her children, except my mother, left home in the 50s to seek their fortunes and settled abroad. From England and the Americas to Southeast Asia and India, souvenirs were brought from places my grandmother had never visited, nonetheless she treasured them all. Surrounded by exotic curios and her proudly displayed photographs, she entertained us with games, songs and family stories. She taught us to play cards - win or lose. She taught us resilience and gave us our windows on the world. My installation reflects childhood memories of my Nan, her life and home-- a strong independent woman slowly declining, through the loss of her own memories, towards the end of her days.