Three metaphorical layers reveal the essential restorative elements of encounter and healing. The negative space around the vase forms two faces – the offender and the victim – whose encounter is integral to restoration. The vase recalls the Japanese idea of kintsugi – mending with gold – honoring and healing the damage of the past. The lightning bolts on the blue night sky formed by the gold veins remind us of the nearness of trauma. It is inspired by the healing that I have witnessed as a facilitator bringing crime victims into encounters with prisoners in the Sycamore Tree Project in Australia.

LOCATION: Australia