michele bosak projects

Throughout history, grief has been given form through objects, rituals, and adornments that serve as tangible expressions of mourning. Sentimental Ornamentation examines the profoundly personal and often elaborate ways in which people have historically honored and remembered the dead, mainly through the lens of Victorian mourning practices. Featuring artifacts on loan from the Grand Rapids Public Museum alongside contemporary artworks, the exhibition explores the intersection of history, material culture, and modern interpretations of loss. The Victorian era formalized mourning into a rigid social structure, embedding grief into everyday life through jewelry, fashion, and sentimental keepsakes. Following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria's extended mourning period set a precedent that transformed private grief into public display. Mourning attire was strictly regulated—women, in particular, adhered to years of prescribed dress codes, transitioning from deep black crepe to subdued shades of gray and lavender as time passed. Mourning jewelry, often incorporating the woven hair of the deceased, served as both a token of remembrance and an intimate, wearable relic of loss. In a time when photography was still developing as a medium, these objects provided an enduring physical connection to the departed, blending sentimentality with intricate craftsmanship. Despite the distance of time, Victorian mourning practices' aesthetics and emotional weight continue to influence contemporary artists and designers. Many of the works featured in Sentimental Ornamentation reinterpret these traditions through a modern lens, questioning how we process grief, preserve memory, and assign meaning to objects. From intricate metalwork to fiber-based sculptures, each piece reflects the power of ornamentation as a conduit for remembrance. The exhibition juxtaposes historical artifacts with contemporary works that explore themes of mortality, devotion, and the materiality of mourning, demonstrating how grief, though deeply personal, is also a cultural and artistic phenomenon that transcends time. By bringing past and present into dialogue, the exhibition invites viewers to consider how the objects we create, wear, and preserve, shape our understanding of loss. It examines the evolving role of mourning rituals, the intimate relationship between adornment and memory, and how artists continue to draw from the visual and emotional language of grief. In doing so, the exhibition highlights ornamentation not just as decoration but as a deeply human act that seeks to make the intangible emotions of love and loss visible and enduring.