Soulcases is a deeply personal and symbolic installation that brings together sculptural porcelain art and vintage suitcases to explore identity, memory, and the spiritual journey of the soul. The idea originated in a dream where I saw people’s souls as unique suitcases — some open and glowing, others sealed and forgotten. This image became a metaphor for the human experience and the stories we carry across time. The natural processes of renewal mirror the migrations of culture and memory, revealing how transformation — whether personal, historical, or ecological — shapes what we become.

Rooted in my Latvian-Ukrainian-Canadian background, Soulcases reflects histories of migration, loss, and renewal. The suitcase, an object tied to travel and displacement, becomes a vessel for cultural memory and transformation. Each case holds traces of what endures through upheaval: the fragments we protect, the traditions that adapt, and the identities that continue to grow in new soil.

Porcelain and vintage luggage form a dialogue between fragility and endurance, silence and resilience. The ceramic elements evoke the delicate nature of remembrance and belonging, while the worn suitcases bear the scars of movement and survival. Together, they mirror the ecological rhythms of decay and regeneration — how life, like memory, renews itself through change.

By reimagining ordinary luggage as living “soul-containers,” Soulcasesinvites viewers to reflect on their own inner landscapes — what they carry, conceal, or pass on. It speaks to both personal and collective histories, suggesting that rewilding the spirit may begin by uncovering the stories, cultures, and connections we hold within.