Glass has a deep and rich connection to memory, as demonstrated by its use as a vessel for preservation in both domestic and mythological contexts. Possessing the antinomic characteristics of strength and fragility, it symbolically embodies how easily history can be lost. It is for this reason that glass is an apt material for Bay Area artist Tali Grinshpan who, through her work, seeks to create "intimate spaces" of reflection where the "past speaks to the transient present."

In "Longing for the (Home)Land," Grinshpan reflects on multi-generational immigration stories that are embodied in her personal history as an artist with two homes – her homeland of Israel and her current home in Northern California. Using pâte de verre, a technique that involves fusing grains of glass powder, Grinshpan creates delicate forms that recall curling flower petals or silky folds of fabric. Her works speak to ideas of finding one's place, one's home, in a new environment. "Our roots torn, we must grow new ones," explains Grinshpan.