While you were away
2025
Charcoal, bronze, Chinese silk, fire remnants
13’h x 8’dia
Yabu Pushelberg
In 2021, Dennis Lin suffered a devastating fire at his home in Kimberley Ontario, and has spent the last few years processing and cataloging the charcoal and debris. While you were away holds the remnants of a singular yet fragmented object: his family’s library. The centrepiece of this mobile—a suspended stack of burnt books—is a stark reminder of this loss. Surrounding it are carefully balanced pieces of charcoal, processed and organized from over two tonnes of fire remnants. Each fragment, extracted from the aftermath, holds traces of the library’s memory. While you were away embodies Lin’s need to hold onto remains of a life and space now lost.