REST IN PIECES

Amber Lelli has been Sculptor, Alan LeQuire’s studio manager for many years. During this time, she has become a significant artist in her own right, unveiling exciting works for various projects including her magnificent Celestial Falls for the Donelson (TN) Library.

Celestial Falls is a suspended sculpture measuring 28 by 17 feet, depicting flora and fauna indigenous to Middle Tennessee. Each piece was hand sculpted and fully gilded. While the theme of Rest in Pieces is quite different, the exhibition was intended as a direct nod to the Celestial Falls project, incorporating many of the same sculpting and gilding techniques.

This exhibition, "Rest in Pieces," is a reflection on new beginnings and grief, using the symbolic language of flowers—floriography—to navigate the complexities of loss, remembrance, and hope. While those who pass or leave may 'rest in peace,' those who remain are often left in pieces. These fragments—emotional, societal, and personal—are what we must mend, heal, and move through on a journey toward peace. Our country is in pieces. As individuals, many of us are in pieces. Yet it is only by traveling this journey together that we can reach a better, more unified place. Floriography, the study of the meanings assigned to flowers, offers a spectrum of interpretations, from cheerfulness and peace to sorrowful remembrances and unrequited love. Many of the sculptures in this collection incorporate a variety of flowers, each chosen carefully to narrate stories of "in memoriam" or to reflect the essence of a person's character.

As the artist, I created this body of work while processing my own grief—grieving the loss of love and the ongoing struggles faced by my Hispanic community and country. In a time when making art felt futile against the backdrop of overwhelming global and personal challenges, I found meaning in the hope that these pieces could foster communion and connection through gathering. We are all grieving in some form. We are all entering new beginnings, often marked by uncertainty and fear.

Through these sculptures, I aim to represent values and emotions that unite us: friendship, respect, self-love, great expectations, good fortune, and love lost. My hope is that viewers will be reminded of the shared human experience and find resonance in the symbolic narratives these works embody. The collection features a variety of works, from wall pieces to freestanding sculptures, ranging in size from 1 to 6 feet. In a time of collective and personal change, "Rest in Pieces" stands as a challenge—for each of us to carry these values forward with renewed intentionality, embracing the complexity of both loss and renewal.