The Johnny

Beads, thread, acrylic paint on fabric, 32 x 44", 2025

​​This piece is a hospital gown transformed into a deeply personal and intricate tribute, clusters of beads that each represent a memory. The title itself holds a dual meaning, “Johnny” being both the common name for a hospital gown and the name of my father, who inspired this piece. Every beaded section becomes a small archive, pills in all shapes and colors, bloodstains that once marked his skin and fabric, even the food I used to sneak and snack on during long visits. Together, these details form a timeline of our shared experiences in that sterile, sacred space. The gown becomes a vessel of memory, a physical form of my loss, a quiet, intimate record of time, love, and the slow ache of watching someone you love fade away.