Lost.
Interpreting grief through the catharsis of letter-writing to those that have been lost. Transforming a social taboo by stimulating discussions and openness surrounding the subject of grief and loss, while also documenting inspiring displays of vulnerability to serve as a reminder that we are not alone in the grief we feel.
This project aimed to document the experience of grieving someone lost, either through death of loss of contact, in order to create common ground and support, as grief is a sentiment that is rarely discussed yet it is something felt by all.
The medium of this project was letters written by the public which were then posted through the Lost Box. I created letter templates prompting the sender to describe one thing the recipient gifted them with, whether this be a favourite song, a recipe, life lesson, etc., and something they would like to give back to them now, e.g. a message, a recommendation.
The aim of this was to highlight that, while the recipient is no longer physically present, aspects of their being still remain and live on through you. The second part of the letter also showed how a connection with this person is still possible, and provided an outlet to channel unexpressed love to them.
I installed the Lost Box in the UAL graduate showcase at London College of Communications where it gathered lots of attention and I had the privilege of witnessing and participating in many meaningful conversations about the reality of grieving. In the duration of this project, the Lost Box generated over eighty heartfelt letters; a great success for a small-scale prototype for a larger project where I aim to collate the responses to create a book.