Death And Portraits (with Annamieka Hopps)

In this episode of "Death And," mortician Victor M. Sweeney sits down with artist Annamieka Hopps to unpack the theme of death and portraits. Their conversation explores how capturing someone’s likeness, whether through paint or by preparing bodies for funerals, is intimately tied to honoring legacy and mortality. Annamieka shares her own powerful story of facing cancer at 19 and what it was like to attend a fundraiser that felt like witnessing her own memorial, a transformative experience that now fuels her work helping others tell their stories. Together, Victor and Annamieka discuss the art of truly seeing and remembering people—whether through painting, archiving, or supporting families—and how embracing our mortality can deepen creativity and connection. The episode weaves in listener questions and reflections on legacy, demonstrating that both death and portraiture are about making meaning and sharing our essence with those we leave behind. http://annamieka.com http://instagram.com/annamieka_ http://youtube.com/@Annamieka http://deathandpodcast.com http://youtube.com/@victormsweeney http://instagram.com/victor.m.sweeney http://tiktok.com/@victormsweeney http://x.com/victormsweeney http://simonandschuster.com/books/Now-Departing/Victor-M-Sweeney/9781668062111 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices