In the absence of permanent structures, home is contained in the memories and bonds shared between people and communities. Hema Shironi’s work arises from the frequent relocations of her family, which have been intertwined with socio-political developments in Sri Lanka since the early '90s. As a child, her family often moved from place to place, leading her to question the connections that individuals and communities form. Her work is driven by the nostalgia of the many places she has called home and by how each community she encountered navigates issues of language, culture, memory, myth, gender, and equality.Shironi employs the practice of needlework to stitch together her reflections, recounting the journeys, cultures, and experiences she absorbed while moving from one place to another. Passed down through the matrilineal line, from mother to daughter, needlework offers a sense of permanence and continuity, compensating for the absence of physical structures.Jewels of Forgotten Memories repurposes old jewelry boxes, which once held family heirlooms, to contain small photographs from the artist’s childhood. As photographs now fill the boxes that once held precious jewelry, they take on a new significance, becoming more priceless than the gold they once safeguarded.These small, delicate photographs are gently punctured to trace the solid outlines of homes, as the artist recalls the many childhood houses she lived in. The fragile nature of the work, along with its intimate scale, invites contemplation on the ephemeral quality of memories with their tendencies to fade and slip away over time. Shironi's work weaves through tender memories tof memory and identity as the artist tries to find what meaning the home holds outside of its physical structure.Shironi’s work explores the connection between personal histories and material memories. Thus the plastic encasements of the jewellery boxes although disposable, have totemic value as they become conduits to recall the family’s journeys and experiences. Through this thoughtful engagement with memory and material, Shironi challenges the notion of permanence, instead finding meaning in the transient and the intangible