Overview

Grief Is an Origami Swan is a tender, illustrated guide to navigating loss through the simple ritual of folding a paper swan. Using black-and-white botanical drawings, pressed flowers, and step-by-step instructions suitable for complete beginners, artist Michèle Saint-Michel offers a meditative practice for honoring those who have passed. Each fold becomes an invitation to pause, reflect, and allow grief to move through the body. Created after the passing of her father, the book was first made in a small log cabin near the Missouri River, where Saint-Michel pressed flowers between pages and explored how grief reshapes a life from the inside out. This 5-year anniversary edition continues to serve as a companion for readers seeking healing, comfort, and quiet rituals during bereavement. Part art book, part memorial practice, Grief is an Origami Swan has been shared widely among those who want a gentle way to process grief, whether through hands-on activity, reflective imagery, or a simple, meaningful gesture made in memory of someone loved. Ideal for individuals, families, support groups, or as a thoughtful gift for anyone experiencing loss.

Full Product Details

9798986642956

Table of Contents

Reviews

An utterly beautiful, heartbreaking yet fulfilling guide to recovery. Each page is impeccably put together. The words and images are indescribably evocative. Both the art and the pressed flowers, the origami, are all poetry in their own right. I cried, I smiled, I dreamed. It was truly a surprisingly wonderful experience, I strongly recommend this to anyone who may have lost someone dear in your life, regardless of who or what the relationship was. -Jacob I lost my father 10 years ago and that was when I finally ordered this book. I wish I had done it much sooner because it was one of the most healing and beautiful books I have ever read. I felt understood, seen and finally like I wasn't alone. Thank you so much for this work of art and healing. -Christa STUNNING. Beautiful in all the ways. Relatable. Creative. Powerful. I will recommend this book to anyone looking for a way to show support to a griever in their life. I'm already adding it to my cart for the holiday season. -Chantal

Author Information

Michèle Saint-Michel is a Brooklyn-based artist, filmmaker, and writer whose work explores grief, memory, and the quiet rituals that shape emotional life. She is the author of Grief is an Origami Swan, Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire, and Saint Agatha Mother Redeemer, and her films and publications have been exhibited and published internationally. She holds a BA in Journalism and graduated with distinction from the Artists' Film & Moving Image MA programme at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available