What are the ways we hold grief?

What are the ways we release grief?

Grief stones, 2019 - Present — Ceramic, Dimensions variable but within the size of the maker’s hand.

Grief stones are inspired by the Jewish tradition of placing stones on the headstone of a gravesite. Imprinting my hand into clay is a gesture of holding hands with my mother when I visit her gravesite. The act of squeezing clay can simultaneously release anger — a fist — and love — a held hand. I bring these stones with me each time I visit my mother and the rest of my family buried at the Shaarei Tzion Cemetery in Rosedale, MD.

grief stone offerings + installations

Grief Stones began as a simple coping gesture and have morphed into a powerful ritual object for grief and heartache. Ong has lead many Grief Stone meditation workshops with communities across the United States including the following organizations and communities: The Zekelman Holocaust Center, Bas Blue, The Shalom Institute, Jew for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), LabShul, Beit Toratah, Cranbrook Academy of Art, The Chautauqua School of Art, and The Henry Ford Cancer Institute, among others.