Grandmother's Letter

Yvonne Singer is a practicing artist with an active national and international exhibition record. Her installation works employ multi-media techniques, often with mysterious texts to discuss cultural and psychological issues of separation and understanding. Singer is particularly interested in everyday language and the intersection of public and private histories.

Grandmother’s Letter was installed as part of jst wrds, Singer’s 2013 solo exhibition at Cambridge Galleries. The text is an excerpt of a letter Singer’s grandmother wrote to her daughter, Singer’s mother, describing her immigration to Canada by boat. The letter describes her seasickness as well as her eager anticipation of arriving to a new country and being reunited with her family.

The letter reads:

I know you would be interested to know about our boat trip, so here is the report as reminiscence.

July 12, 1951 in the harbour stood in front of me a large white-washed boat, lower part in the water, painted black. We got on the boat named Samaria.

The fourth day another aspect of the sea. Fog, big waves. Actually, I had real seasickness now, the whole day fainting spell and feeding the sharks. It lasted only for 2 days but I survived and the third day indescribable feeling that we will see a new world and forgetting all bad and unpleasant.