Lorie Hamermesh: Into the Fire

My life advances like the candles on a cake. Each flame marks a year, a loss, and a continuation. The fire does not fade with time, but intensifies to reveal passion and contradiction.  Is the face reflected back in the mirror a nostalgic memory, an inhibited mask, or the authentic self? My work is not about innocence, but clarity — an affirming resilience forged by the acceptance of self, loss, and the power of longevity.  —Lorie Hamermesh