Something to Hold Onto: Turning Ashes into Art with Keri East

What do you do with a loved one’s ashes when scattering them doesn’t feel like quite enough? In this episode, I’m joined by Keri East, founder of Ashes2Art, an Australian memorial art service that transforms a loved one’s cremation ashes into a bespoke piece of art. Working from her home studios on the Bellarine, Keri creates resin beach memorials, trees of life, jewellery and other keepsakes for families in Australia and overseas. Keri shares how it all began. When her great uncle Brian died, he wanted his ashes scattered at his beach. Keri honoured that wish, but she also wanted to keep a little bit of him. During COVID she taught herself to make resin beach memorials in a grow tent on her deck, and practised for six months before she felt ready to make his. One of her daughter’s carers then asked Keri to make one for her mum, and word spread from there. We talk about what happens when a family gets in touch, from posting or dropping off the ashes to choosing from 160 resin colours, and why Keri plays the person’s favourite music while she lays their ashes into the memorial. She describes the colours she now sees in ashes under a magnifying glass, including pinks, turquoise and opal, and the experiences in her studio she can’t explain. Keri also reflects on how ten years as a road accident rescue volunteer, growing up in a nursing family and caring for her daughter, who has a rare disability, have shaped the way she thinks about death. She shares her own beliefs about what happens after we die. The conversation closes on why these pieces matter to families. People tell Keri they say good morning to their loved one, have a coffee with them and include them at Christmas. As Keri explains, we keep talking to the people who have died whether we have a piece of art or not. A memorial simply gives us a point of reference. Remember: You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared. Take care, Catherine