MARKS OF EXISTENCE

Selected Works

Fascinated by the beauty of fossils, Silk was drawn to their intricate surfaces and markings, each one holding the traces of a life once lived. Their resemblance to paintings sparked a deeper reflection on the marks we leave behind and how, through art, something of our existence can be preserved beyond our lifetime.

From this idea emerged Marks of Existence, a body of work exploring the relationship between mark-making, memory and the passage of time. Through works on paper and expressive gestures, Silk sought to echo the appearance of fossils etched into the earth, allowing layers, patterns and impressions to suggest the remnants of something once present.

The original exhibition extended this exploration into a physical installation. A tomb-like structure housed the works, inviting viewers to enter a space of discovery, as though uncovering fragments of another time. Each piece became a trace to contemplate, an imprint of an existence that had passed but was not entirely lost.

Not all works from the series were included in the original exhibition. Those presented in this archive remain as fragments of the wider project, continuing the idea at its heart: that the marks we leave behind can outlive us, carrying something of who we were into the future.

Chiaroscuro Gallery | 1997