The Office for the Arts at Harvard University commissioned Deep Wounds as the culmination of a year-long residency. Walking around the campus, I was struck by the beauty of Memorial Hall and found myself fascinated and moved by the building's history. The hall was dedicated to those from Harvard who died fighting for the Union during the Civil War with no mention of those who died fighting for the Confederacy. This omission has been a source of controversy since the hall was built, a potent symbol of unfinished healing that speaks to the personal and cultural divides we experience today.