The Complexity of Longing is an Orihime bound book about my mother, Anneke van Messel, who was a Holocaust survivor. It is also a book about the consequences of silence. My mother chose to keep her past tucked away, never sharing her experiences, nor the memories about her past that were deeply hidden. Growing up in the midst of that silence required a certain vigilance and respect, and it wasn’t until at least a decade after her death that I was able to start digging around and trying to put the pieces together. This book is an attempt at making sure her story is not forgotten, and a quiet reminder of how our history might hold a key to understanding who we are today.
I produced a varied edition of nine copies (Number 5 is shown here), plus three artist’s proofs. The background monotypes were printed at Peregrine Press in Portland, Maine; the letterpress text was set by David Wolfe, of Wolfe Editions, and printed by me in Wolfe’s studio. The interior single sheet pages were individually cut by hand - each is unique.
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