Mareiwa Miller, What Remains (Purse 1), 2024, ceramic, glass, negative, handkerchief, 17 1/4 x 14 1/2 x 8 1/4 in.
Mareiwa Miller, What Remains (Purse 1), 2024, ceramic, glass, negative, handkerchief, 17 1/4 x 14 1/2 x 8 1/4 in.


1150 25th St / / (Slash)

Still[s] is an exhibition of sculptural purses by Mareiwa Miller that investigates the objects’ ritualistic presence in our daily lives. By embracing the purse as both a utilitarian feminine product and a symbolic emblem, Miller creates a conversation across gender dynamics, storytelling, identity, and ritual practices. The purse is filled with cherished mementos that contain concealed stories and other unique pieces of information about its owner. These special treasures, hidden from the world unless explicitly shared, are intimate extensions of one’s identity that imbue the purse with a sense of ritual. Miller channels these personal and divine narratives by creating her purses from found negatives, stained glass, and ceramics. The colorful stained glass and ceramics channel the building blocks of churches that reveal or obscure the elements contained within, while the negatives create a sense of mystery and nostalgia via their ghost-like quality. With this context, the purses in Still[s] act as miniature cathedrals that invite viewers to peer into another world and reflect on the intricate interplay of memory, storytelling, and societal norms embedded within these seemingly ordinary objects.