Invisible landscapes

Abstract

My artistic practice is rooted in exploring the hidden meanings of nature. Mountains, sky, rivers and trees compose a landscape that appears balanced and simply beautiful to the eye. However, beneath this surface, billions of organisms, normally imperceptible to human vision, interact to maintain the environment as a whole. This invisible aspect is integral to the landscape’s beauty, yet this beauty is not without complexity. Seemingly idyllic trees might be invasive species, and the refreshing scent of soil might carry a trace of pollution, same as in our lives and in the lives of other creatures. This exhibition, Invisible Landscapes, explores these unseen dimensions through an installation consisting of two folding screens and one wall installation with mixed media sculptures. Each work examines different “invisible” concepts: micro and macro scale through references to scientific imagery, play between actual facts of existence of microbes and the landscapes in people’s minds, and the underground world explored as stratum of lives, cultures and history.Among these works, three diverse “invisible landscapes” converge to create an environment, a space we can walk through, similar to what we might experience in a garden. My process intertwines traditional technique with intuitive, sometimes accidental approaches, incorporating repurposed materials such as folding screens, layered mulberry paper, mineral pigments, and kimono fabric. The paper layers I create result from a meticulous and repetitive process. This serves as a metaphor for the layered complexities of culture, society, and memory. It is my hope that Invisible Landscapes may offer alternative ways for viewing the world around us across scales and perspectives, thus inspiring deeper contemplation of our interconnectedness with the natural world.