Shira Gold

When I took a pause and checked in with myself, I had this overarching sensation…. I know this feeling… I have been here before. But what is it?

As it turns out, the feeling I’ve been sitting with since the early days of the pandemic is grief, though in a very different context and with a different level of intensity than I had experienced in the past.

In 2003 I lost my mom to cancer. Many years later I reflected on the enormity of the loss and created a visual dissertation of my grief journey in the form of an eight series body of work entitled “Good Grief.” The imagery - landscape self-portraits covering various emotional stages and personal headspaces. These photographs have come to contain a further layer of meaning for me during the pandemic as I have moved through the different social restrictions and faced different stages of isolation. They are poignant reminders of what has been lost, of growth, and of the questions that remain about the future. “Tread Lightly”, a selection from “Good Grief” feels especially relatable. The physical and emotional divide between self and community have felt paralyzing and at the same time present a unique opportunity for emotional rest and deep reparative work. I find solace in “Tread Lightly”, it serves as both a reminder of my own vulnerability and resilience.

Biography

Shira Gold is a fine art photographer who creates images of stillness and beauty from complicated and painful moments. “My art is alert to the discomfort we all face in our daily lives,” she explains, “but I want to turn pain and angst on its side to discover the beauty that accompanies our struggles.” Drawing on her relationships as a daughter and a mother, Shira’s work explores the universal subjects of grief, change, discovery, and wonder

Shira’s work has earned her recognition in the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards, The Pollux Awards, Fine Art Photo Awards,  Lensculture Art Photography Awards, International Photography Awards and Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series amongst others.

Shira’s work has been featured in International publications, including The Guardian newspaper and Dodho Magazine. She has exhibited publicly as a part of Photoville’s The Fence at the 2020 Exposure Photo Festival and in several bricks and mortar galleries in Europe and North America.