Pierre le Riche, The Ritual of Urns, 2026 (detail 1)
Pierre le Riche, The Ritual of Urns, 2026 (detail 2)
Pierre le Riche South African, b. 1986
61 x 66 7/8 in.
(Unframed)
Further images
The urn has appeared in earlier works as a place to preserve memories of people and experiences. Traditionally associated with the ashes of the dead, these vessels took on a more personal meaning, representing relationships and moments worth remembering, including those involving people who were still living.
In The Ritual of Urns, the focus shifts toward the act of remembrance itself. Keeping a memory involves deciding what deserves to be preserved, what should be honored, and what can eventually be allowed to settle.
The work also relates to the Intersection Studies, where overlapping figures represent encounters and the effects people have on one another. While those studies concentrate on relationships and the moments people share, The Ritual of Urns considers what remains afterward.
Returning to the urn gives this familiar object a renewed purpose. It becomes a place for remembering the past while acknowledging that our relationship with those memories can change over time.
Exhibitions
Pierre le Riche
Online exhibition + Artsy
Intersections Revisited
October 15 - November 28, 2026