Celebrating the art of remembering and 30 years of Memorials by Artists

The timing could not be more apt for ‘HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED’, the autumn exhibition presented by the Lettering Arts Trust at its gallery at Snape Maltings in Suffolk, as it culminates on Remembrance Sunday.

However HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED, is not about commemorating heroic military exploits or victorious battles but instead draws attention to the privately commissioned memorials that celebrate individual lives with sensitive design and beautiful lettering, created during the past 30 years by skilled letter carvers represented by Memorials by Artists. 

Curated by Annet Stirling and Harriet Frazer, the exhibition shows how surprising, varied and moving memorials can be – from Stephen Lawrence’s running shirt to the Bali Bombing memorial and personal headstones for private individuals.

The exhibition explores the process of creating a personal memorial – the relationship that develops between the bereaved and the artist as together they explore, define and finally craft a fitting tribute that honours the individual or chronicles the collective memory of a community. Many clients have found the process of commissioning a memorial to be a deeply rewarding and healing experience.

Often artists are given family photographs or personal artefacts from which to draw their inspiration.  Hangings in the gallery depict a rich variety of concept sketches and working drawings together with photographs that show the development process from setting the brief to the finished, beautifully hand cut memorial.