Building an Ofrenda for Oanh

Preserving Traditions and Memories of a Loved One.

This series of images captures a performance piece during the Day of the Dead in 2022 in honor of our friend Oanh. She died on her actual birthday and prematurely at the age of 34 due to COVID-19.  Here at her gravesite, Oanh’s loved ones— her best friend, her daughter and I— build an ofrenda for her.

The performance began with us wearing white masks, not simply for its symbolic implications, but also as a reminder of the importance of taking precautions during the pandemic. Though it’s mostly an empty gesture, as it didn’t prevent our loss in the end. We also wore her favorite color, green. We then gathered around Oanh’s grave and began to build the ofrenda, carefully placing her favorite items and offerings.

As we worked on the arrangement, we reflected on the impact she had on our lives and how much we missed her.

It was a poignant and powerful experience, with the ofrenda we created acting as both a tribute to our friend and a symbol of our collective grief and frustration. It is a visual reminder of the real consequences of a nation indifferent to a deadly disease. Highlighting the larger issues of COVID-19, including the devastating toll it has taken on so many lives, particularly in communities of color and individuals at risk.

Through my images, I hoped to not only capture this quiet celebration and mourning of a life lost, but also preserve a tradition that wasn’t passed down to me. By visiting other gravesites, we learned how to make and model our ofrenda after those.  Lastly, one hopes that this series will also serve as a reminder of the lives lost to COVID-19 and as a call to action for us to help prevent further tragedies.