Epitaph
Medium: Rosemary pulverized leaves, rice glue, bas relief, engraved stele
Dimensions: ”49x28x12cm
| An epitaph of remembrance to the unknown refugees who were lost at the Aegean sea |
The title of the work is from the word, epitaph ( from Greek ἐπιτάφιος epitaphios "a funeral
oration" from ἐπί epi" at, over" and τάφος taphos "tomb" )
The work “Epitaph '' is a funerary stele made of pulverized rosemary leaves. Rosemary is a
plant native to the seaside regions of the Mediterranean and North Africa. The rosemary
plant throughout the ages has had a symbolic meaning in eastern and western cultures and
is still regarded today as the funeral plant signifying respect and remembrance for the
departed. The stele has an ornamented bass relief written inscription, “ Unknown Others,
2011 - “, dedicated to the thousands of refugees who have perished trying to cross the
Aegean sea and to all the people who were washed up on the shores of the Greek islands
and were never identified. The rosemary stele is an epitaph that stands as a tribute to the
human struggles for survival and freedom.