There is a diversity of life forms on Earth. From microorganisms to plants and animals, every corner is brimming with various types of organisms that collectively sustain the balance of the ecosystem through interactions and mutual dependencies.

I noticed many tree stumps in parks I visited throughout London. Upon closer inspection of these tree stumps, you can see fungi, moss, and other small plants growing around them. If you peel back the bark, you can also spot various insects. While the tree stumps appear dead, they have become a habitat for life, serving as the foundation for a new miniature ecosystem.

This prompted me to delve into the life/death cycle mechanism within the ecosystem. Life and death are not opposing events but rather continuous and dynamic processes in constant motion. The maintenance of biodiversity is intertwined with this cycle, where each organism plays a unique and crucial role throughout its life and into death.

This project focus on this miniature ecosystem around the tree stumps, using tree bark and other plants to convey the relationship between ‘life’ and ‘death’. Through collaged images made from pigments of tree bark, leaves, and mushrooms, I create a simulated formation of the biosphere. These images are then reconstructed into a three dimensional ‘lantern’ to symbolize new life attaching itself to the foundation of death.