There Are Cracks in Our Souls

“My Mother recently told me of an interaction she observed between an older brother and his toddler sibling. The young one had a glow stick and was gleefully waving around the thing giving off absolutely no light. The older brother took it away and the baby began to wail. The boy bent down and as he broke the stick in several places it began to glow. He explained to his little brother, “You have to break it to make it glow”.

In all my darkest times the best thing I can do is leash up my dog Sprocket and start walking. We live in Chicago and if you know anything about that city you know smooth sidewalks are few and far between. During these mostly downcast walks I began to take note of the resilience and beauty of the variety of plants pushing their way through those cracks.

There Are Cracks in Our Souls is a series of mixed media wall mounted sculptures. They are composed of scrap wood, poured resin and found natural materials (including bone, shells, insects, hair, plant material and more). The early pieces in the series are mostly a broad observation of the idea of brokenness and healing and beauty. The latter part of the series was made after the passing of my little sister, Jessi. My older sister passed on my 13th birthday. I’m the middle and the only child left. Themes of threes begin to appear more frequently in the latter half of this series. I began making more triptych. Objects are arranged in threes. Beginning, Middle, End. One, Two, Three. Diane, Cori, Jessi.

By sharing my personal experiences and journey through death and rebirth; loss, grief and healing, I hope this work will resonate with the viewer and be a reminder that sometimes we have to be broken to glow.”

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Cori O'Connor is a mixed-media artist based in Chicago, originally from Gainesville, Florida. She is known for her expressive work exploring themes like vulnerability and beauty, often featuring everyday objects and natural debris.

Image courtesy of the artist.

Cori O'Connor

February 13 - March 13, 2026 at Art City