Death and grief and the shifted realities they cause, although common experiences, are rarely talked about in our modern culture. This void of dialog can leave the mourner very much on their own without any structure or outlet for their loss. Altered Perceptions is a meditative, deeply personal return to creative work from Kalso artist Robin Wiltse which explores the stories and narratives surrounding the death of her 17-year-old daughter Rowan from bone cancer. Inspired by the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and his depictions of Hell on Earth, this series of felted works depicts a world plunged into chaos and terrifying darkness yet marked by shimmering moments of precious beauty and value. Through searching for ways to explain these experiences, Wiltse transforms them into illustration and story with vibrant works that transcend plain language.

Combining research into the history of cancer and related medicines, both the potent modern forms and their original sources, Altered Perceptions presents an exploration into the ways that historical botany, folklore, myth and legend have tried to explain the mysteries of life and death through healing and magic. The felting technique involves a lengthy, repetitive process – it can take many months to complete a single work. There has been something similar to a feeling of Zen while working on the felts, the quiet and repeated stabbing of the needle late into the night. The power of this repetition is evident in many of the works, drawing parallels with the patterns of time, in nature, and human experience. This process made space to turn sadness into colour and form, giving it somewhere to go through storytelling. Through portrayal of the endless stars, the ongoing cycles of nature, and the phases of the moon, Wiltse identifies the rhythms and the many common threads that tie us all together.

Drawing inspiration from symbology, patterns, and the human relationship to the natural world, both understood and mysterious, this work initiates an important conversation, seeking to intrigue and unite people in a common place of wonder. It presents a call for all of us to talk about the fear of the unknown, what happens if we lose our greatest treasure – someone we love – as well as the ever-burning question of why? The process of creating this work allowed Wiltse to escape into a world that is a little bit detached and abstracted from grief. Through her eyes, we are able to witness the saddest times imaginable through the lens of fable and storytelling, grounding the experience in an understanding of history and nature.

Even though dark feelings and thoughts often take root there is beauty all around us. Flowers still bloom, skies still impress, and the cycles of nature are ceaseless, never pausing to mourn alongside. There is strength in not knowing why we are here, not knowing what meaning our life has, and how it’s interconnected. To not know means we can be open to every beautiful possibility and learn so much in the search.