2017-2018
pine needles, silk organza, shadow
Silk functions as a receptive membrane, holding dried pine needles within its pliable surface. Gathered and preserved before use, the needles retain the memory of growth while no longer living. Their rigid, brittle structure contrasts with the tensile softness of the silk, creating a quiet tension between flexibility and resistance.
In Chinese culture, pine is associated with endurance and longevity. Here, that meaning arises through material juxtaposition rather than overt symbolism. Domesticated silk and foraged pine meet within the same surface, revealing nature and culture not as opposites, but as intertwined systems. The work proposes endurance not as permanence, but as a fragile balance between strength and vulnerability.