Graft series

2025

Engraving on aluminum

87 x 47 inches, a set of two 

 

In the Graft series, I explore the ancient horticultural technique of grafting, where parts of two or more plants are joined to grow as one. Bauhinia × blakeana, commonly known as the Hong Kong orchid tree, is propagated through grafting. Upon close inspection, the tree’s trunk bears a “ring of traces” — a subtle scar where two trees have merged into a single organism, yet still retain evidence of their separate origins.

 

As a sterile, seedless hybrid, it falls outside of seed bank systems — the global repositories designed to safeguard plant biodiversity in times of catastrophe. When I began researching seed banks during my earlier project on rice, I started to question the limitations of these systems and how inadequately they support both biological and cultural diversity. Seeds are typically stored in aluminum pouches to stabilize temperature and humidity. I use aluminum as a material to reflect on these systems and a canvas to translate light. I project images and translate light onto aluminum sheets through my hands, using a tool typically employed for smoothing welds to achieve a seamless metal join. In contrast, I use it to create marks that emphasize traces rather than erase them. The engraved lines on the aluminum scatter and reflect light in ways that shift with the viewer’s position, producing varying tones and textures. The surface also absorbs and reflects colors from its surroundings.

 

Each mark on the aluminum records the tension between the rotating machine and my body. This misuse and reinvention of tools reflects my ongoing image-making practice, which centers on the physical process of translating light into form.