I have watched the decline of my grandmother’s mental state since her diagnosis of dementia, and wanted to explore how familiar images from her home help her to feel at peace and bring her back to us as a family.

I started by collecting her mass cards and looking at old Irish postcards together with my contemporary references.

The postcard precedes texting and social media, the 'must-send' card from holidays, it captured time and moments, bringing places near and thoughts made real. These postcards forge new memories, they explore the idea that we do not remember in a linear way – instead memories are often flashbacks, unrelated details, and colour and sensory triggers.

The title 'Wish you were here' sums up the project through a shared feeling of isolation. The title is directed to my grandmother, both in a very physical and mental way, wishing she was with us. The postcard series provokes memories that comfort and draw us out of our isolation to start a conversation about the elderly and the impact of loneliness and isolation on their mental well-being.

• Installation
• 2D Image
• Multi-media
• 3D Object