To Be Loved Is To Be Changed is an anthropological and artistic challenge to the fear of the unknown inherent in moments of change by contextualizing those moments in the known, the loved, and the comfortable. This project culminates in three prints of cherished childhood stuffed animals. Print design was informed by interviews with the objects’ owners to ensure their authentic representation. Interviews centered around each person’s relationship to their stuffed animal and explored the ways that we personify our physical objects and rely on them for support, particularly through periods of change. The scale of each print emphasizes the stuffed animals' detail, highlighting the acts of love that altered them over time.
As a young adult who both struggles with change and stands at the precipice of it, I recognize the value of the physical objects that I endowed with soul and significance as a child. These are objects we have affected through years of love, representing us as we move through charged moments of transition. They serve as proof of our ability to come out on the other side, a little bit ragged but loved nonetheless.
Thank you to The U-M Arts Initiative for their support.
