On average, 130 Americans die due to opioids every day. From 1999 to 2017, more than 700,000 people have died from a drug overdose.  I created this exhibition piece entitled, A Dying Lifestyle to generate a community conversation regarding the cause of this epidemic. The number of deaths involving prescription opioids, illegal opioids like heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl is 6 times higher than in 1999. The use of heroin has been increasing in recent years among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels. Why? Is the pain we carry that deep?

This clay vessel represents tragic human energy exploding as art. The interior wall cradles all of our hurt and painful abrasion; providing us safety while the exterior wall utilizes raw textured edges and gold leaf to symbolize a false facade.