Watch Fob with Human Hair Chain c. 1936

Kathryn Uhl made this picture of a watch fob with a human hair chain, but when, we don't know. What an evocative painting – and subject! Imagine Uhl carefully rendering the braided hair, each strand a testament to memory and mourning. You can see the intricate craftsmanship in the gold fittings and the delicate heart-shaped pendant. It's like a memento mori, a reminder of life's fleeting nature, but also a celebration of connection. I bet while she was creating this work she was thinking about the nature of remembrance, about the way we hold onto pieces of the past. It makes me think about the tradition of sentimental jewelry and hairwork in the 19th century. It feels like an intensely intimate act, taking something so personal and turning it into an object of beauty and remembrance. Painting is kind of like that. A conversation with yourself, with others, with time itself.