Process Note: In trying to clear my house of clutter, I have discovered how many items I keep for the pure sentimental value that they hold. While the most important of them will always have their place, there’s no way I could possibly keep them all.

These gloves came from a time in my life that was characterised by spontaneity and, for a lack of a better word, wildness. I hold them and remember myself running through wind and rain, laughing and tugging on the hands of whatever co-conspirator I had roped along with me. I remember those days with joyful fondness, while still being glad that my life has since settled down. I’ll never wear these gloves again, just as I’ll likely never spend another night running through the elements on a whim. When I found myself struggling to justify keeping them, I decided to turn them into a monument.

Dissected like a bug-catcher’s butterfly, these gloves now stand in memory of the wild nights through which I wore them. I can look at this piece and remember the wind in my hair, the laughter and giddiness of acting on pure impulse. Instead of gathering dust in a box, they are taxidermized and displayed, in memory of the chills.

Bio: Sarah Jane Justice is deeply fascinated with humanity, which has led her to write, speak, sing, and create.