Contemplating the unforgivable is a very personal curiosity, a spiritual and healing journey for some of us. In this episode, I explore the practice and the power of forgiveness through the lens of a brave heart and remarkable artist named Sharon Kagan. She is literally, figuratively and artistically the thread that knits us all together - in the unconditional love of forgiveness.
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Sharon Kagan’s multimedia work focuses on listening, unraveling, and pulling apart the complexities of intergenerational trauma and forgiveness. She brings her experiences as the daughter of Holocaust survivors to her work. Kagan has developed a complex practice that is built upon the symbolic act of knitting. Layering intimate stories onto the act of knitting transforms this traditional woman’s craft into a distinct language; a metaphor. Her work speaks to the patterns that are created when a life is broken, a stitch is dropped. But breaking can also be an act of breaking free. Kagan sees resilience, beauty, and integrity amidst her parents’ broken lives.
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Kagan’s practice comes from intersectional feminism and privileges the act of listening. By using stories that have been contributed anonymously and direct engagement with her audiences she becomes “the listener.” At her Alfred University exhibit students sat beside her; knitting, sharing stories or in silence.
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Kagan received the WORD Artist Grant (2021). Recent solo exhibitions include “Compassion in Action,” Alfred University, NY (2022); “The Politics of Color,” Show Gallery, Hollywood, CA; and “String Theory,” College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls, ID (2020-2021) and Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT (2019).
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To deepen in with Sharon and her work you can find her here:
https://www.sharonkagan.com/ and on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sharonkagan/
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ABOUT THE HOST:
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Patricia Russo is a Mystic, Muse and Spiritual Teacher guiding women into their hearts with a journey of Softening. She’s a published poet, a lover of hearts, and a forever student.
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Find her work here: www.patricia-russo.com and on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/wholehealedholy.
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The Healing Power of Forgiveness: Forgiving the Unforgivable with Sharon Kagan