Eden Wray - Devotion to Humility : Absolve My Arrogance

Devotion to Humility : Absolve My Arrogance; Tortoise and the Hair Themed mixed media artwork for the 2026 ALT Show : Fairytales. The tortoise frame opens to reveal a rabbit inside! By local artist Eden Wray

Dimensions: 9" x 12" x 5"

Materials : Polymer Clay, plaster and concrete, resin, paper, felted wool, wood, paint and ink, dried foliage, vintage pearls and diamonds. 

"Folktales and Fables hold so much diversity in what they teach us. I find it deeply interesting to discover what the same text can mean to different people, influenced by their culture and experiences. These commonplace childhood tales can become spiritually significant parables when you extend the effort to understand them. 

I am greatly inspired by the spiritual guidance found in stories, so I married that with personal influences to transform “Tortoise and the Hare” into something a Catholic Grandmother might use in her home to pray upon humility. I have always particularly loved this story, just from being a child a who loved animals, but now as an adult I can learn so much more about it by framing it in the context of my Appalachian roots and family religion. Slow and steady might win the race, but what does it say of arrogance and slothfulness? 

Despite this being a newly made piece of art, I want it to look and feel like something that has been in your family for generations. An object of devotion, an altar to the love of storytelling, and a playful celebration of how media made for children can resonate so much farther into our lives." - Eden Wray