Cypress Trees

In the summer of 2021, a dear friend and I took a road trip and visited New Orleans for the first time. Before I left my dad told me that my grandfather's side of the family was from New Orleans. Although he must have told me this before, at the time it felt like a revelation. My grandfather was in the Navy when my dad was growing up and they moved around a lot. He was the youngest of nine and passed away when my father was only 22, so I never had the chance to meet him. I was already excited to visit Louisiana, but knowing that my family was from there made the experience even more meaningful. Somehow I had the feeling of returning home, even though I had never been there.
The creation of these vases is a tribute to the cypress and its unique roots, which, to me, symbolize both my heritage and the deep connections we carry with us, even when they remain unseen. The Louisiana Bald Cypress is an aquatic tree that typically grows along the edges of lakes and bayous. Its roots form striking triangular shapes that rise out of the water. When I think of Louisiana, I think of my adventure with my friend. The days we spent exploring the city, our trip to the bayou, seeing Lake Pontchartrain for the first time and the cypress trees growing out of the water along the highway on our way into the city. I think of the cypress trees and of the family I never got to know.