My practice focuses on the broken elements of nature, examined through collages and paintings. Working with collages allows me to explore form and composition while encouraging fluidity and spontaneity in my process. My recent works depict trees in parks with branches that have been visibly cut and have healed over time. I am drawn to this subject, perhaps as part of my effort to understand myself apart from my own perceptions. 

There is a sense of resilience depicted in these branches. The projection of these human feelings or aspects onto inanimate objects in nature is a pathetic fallacy. The emotion projected on my paintings will differ for everyone. But certain aspects in the image suggest a general sense of the time of day, the weather, and the season, linking them to how Impressionists try to capture the fleeting effects of light. 

My process starts with photographing natural forms that show evidence of human intervention or natural change. Most of the images feature split, cut, trimmed, torn, or broken trees and branches. I select images and create collages. Rearranging cutouts from reference images and sometimes photographs of my own works helps me explore new directions in my work. For instance, finding a new perspective on the subject matter through collaging photographs of my work and creating a new environment for it. Media exploration is not just preparation work for a final piece. It helps guide the direction of my next painting or drawing and satisfies my curiosity through experimentation. While decision-making for my most recent painting is now intuitive, it is still influenced by these earlier pieces.

The concept of “hybrid practice” resonates with my own and has led me to become more interested in artists such as Hurvin Anderson, for the way he uses layers to play with composition and the various media he works with, and also William Kentridge’s coherence in his works while moving from one medium to another. Another artist I looked at is Ellen Gallagher, particularly her use of scale and the spontaneity evident in each detail of her work. During a research trip to London, I came across an artist named Li Huayi whose paintings feature trees and negative space as central elements of the composition. By learning through looking at other creatives, I can explore and decide what it means for me to make art.