We Never Arrive is an artist book and installation that explores the relationships other women and I share with our time and place. In realizing our identities are shaped by the complexity of our physical time and place, we can start to challenge the often rigid and coercive networks that have defined femininity and maternity for decades. This is an investigation of how we access knowledge from the generations of women who have come before us, and how we carry their lived experiences in the present. We Never Arrive challenges the linear and destination-centered archetype of living, while acknowledging the dichotomy of this title in that we all face the inevitable arrival at death. This exploration helped me fully understand liminal spaces. It works to clarify the struggle to become, or merely just be. It is about the little moments that resemble a lifetime and a lifetime that is remembered by mere moments. It is about the times and places where we asked “what can I learn from you, and what should I share about me?”

I want to thank all the women that shared their stories while conducting research for the project. Over 20 women shared their stories of “she” in written and oral formats. In turn, I compiled these memories, along with my own, to present a deeper perspective into the female experience. 

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We Never Arrive was designed, printed and bound by Sarah Budeski for her BFA in Studio Arts at Montana State University in the Spring of 2021. 

This book was printed on white Stonehenge, using Caslon type. Processes presented in the book are intaglio, laser engraved wood relief, letterpress, serigraphy, linocut relief and collage. The book is drumleaf bound, with hand-stitching and includes a hard-cover housing.

Photos by Emmalea Chan