Dialogues
with Trees
speculative Narrative, multimedia, screenprint, ink making, Papermaking, cyanotype
Exhibited in Central Saint Martins Shows 2024
Dialogues with Trees a series of projects that reimagines urban dwellers' relationship with nature, utilising public
contemplation and private reflection to enhance our connection and
understanding of the more-than-human world.
The project aims to encourage discussions on how nurturing our
relationship with nature inherently boosts our well-being and that of
the planet, affirming the interconnection between human health and
environmental health.
Idea
Portraying nature as body and nature as regenerative care,
this project showcases a well-being journal
and cyanotype posters based
on Central London's street trees, both crafted from upcycled materials: scrap fabrics, handmade paper, and chlorophyll ink.
Dialogues with Trees infuses sustainist principles from Schwarz and Elffer’s manifesto, Sustainism Is the New Modernism, focusing on sustainability, locality, and interconnectedness. Utilizing ecopsychology, it transforms urban street trees into guides and companions through speculative narratives and art therapy tools. This initiative emphasises our connection with the soil, water, and air nurtured by trees, highlighting the symbiotic relationships between humans and trees. It challenges anthropocentric and individualistic views by redefining trees from backdrops to human activity to respected community members with their own agency and intelligence.
Beneath the Canopy is a well-being journal crafted entirely from reused and upcycled materials,
including handmade paper from scrap paper, screen printed with
chlorophyll ink, and bound with recycled plastic. Inspired by art
therapy tools, the journal guides users through activities focused on identifying, reflecting, and mapping their personal and collective roles within the ecological network.
It specifically connects their well-being to local icons: the Silver Birch, London Plane, English Oak, and Sycamore Tree.
Full digital version
Process
Do You See Me? is a series of posters designed from scrap fabric and printed using cyanotype
– a traditional method of photographic printing historically used to
document plant species, and creatively subverts this technique to
capture speculative dialogues from trees, transforming their silent
messages into visible expressions.
These posters are strategically placed, guided by data from the London Tree Map, on trees around Central London, offering a
stark visual contrast to the urban environment and capturing the
attention of passersby.
Process