I joined over 400 embroiderers to contribute an embroidered pillowcase depicting a personal vision or thoughts about dreams to the installation piece 1001 Nights; this was part of Susan Aldworth’s large-scale installation The Dark Self exhibited at York St. Mary’s. I hand-stitched the face of my father sleeping in the hospital, as he hovered between life and death. For me, dreams are the place we can still come together. These are the few times his continued presence becomes physically alive for me, touchable, huggable.

This is the first time I’ve contributed to someone else’s artwork in this way. I took enormous pleasure and an unexpected sense of community and achievement in seeing the final piece as a whole, and for my small part in it. Public participatory artwork is becoming a part of my regular practice.