Blog Entry: The Forgotten Pumpkin – A Sculpture of Memory, Pain, and Transformation

The Forgotten Pumpkin began as a sculpture, but very quickly it became something much larger — a way of revisiting a childhood wound and reshaping it into strength. This piece draws on a memory of being called a “princess” as a little girl, only to have that identity quietly taken away when life changed. I was no longer the princess. I became “the pumpkin” — overlooked, forgotten, and left on the edge of the story.

Creating this wearable sculpture allowed me to return to that moment with gentleness and honesty. I built an armature shaped to my body, layering wire, mesh, tulle, and fabric until the form became full, rounded, and unmistakably pumpkin-like. The metal spirals emerging from the bodice speak to the protective barriers we grow when we have been hurt — a warning, a shield, a quiet plea to be handled with care. Yet the bright orange fabric, soft and warm, reveals something else: that even in pain, there is life, colour, and hope.

The making process was emotional. As I stitched, shaped, and adjusted the form, I felt myself moving between past and present — remembering a child who felt unwanted, and the woman I am now who has found love, acceptance, and strength. Every stitch became an act of reclaiming myself. Every curve of the sculpture became a reminder that my story did not end in abandonment.

Wearing The Forgotten Pumpkin and photographing the final images brought everything together. In those closing images, two hands meet — one offering help, the other passing on the weight of the past. A pink rose is exchanged, symbolising admiration, softness, and the new love I found with Allan. That small moment marked the heart of the work: transformation. What was once a symbol of pain became a symbol of new beginnings.

Trauma leaves marks, but it can also leave wisdom. The Forgotten Pumpkin represents the moment when darkness begins to soften — when the burden becomes lighter, when chains can be broken, when love becomes possible again.

A new day begins.