Introduction This project examines the tea cake as a cultural artifact and its ritualistic role in both historical and modern contexts. Originally used to preserve and transport tea along trade routes like the Silk Road, tea cakes have evolved into symbols of heritage, mindfulness, and time. The ritual of steeping tea cakes emphasizes patience and reflection, fostering a sensory connection to tradition. In today’s fast-paced world, such rituals are often reduced to convenient tasks. By exploring the tea cake’s transformation during steeping, this project reflects on the importance of rituals in connecting us to time, culture, and mindfulness.

A project statement/thesis statement This project examines the tea cake through its interaction with time, using tea stains as a medium to critique modern consumer culture. Over six intervals, tea stains were documented on absorbent paper, capturing the transformation of pigments and the passage of time. These patterns were presented in a suspended installation of layered transparent sheets, allowing viewers to perceive the gradual evolution of the stains. The overlapping layers symbolize the accumulation of time and highlight the erosion of rituals in contemporary life. By contrasting the deliberate, slow ritual of tea preparation with the hurried pace of modern living, the project invites reflection on the value of intentional, sensory-rich traditions.

Medium The mediums used in this project highlight the sensory, temporal, and visual aspects of the tea cake ritual, including tea stain samples, photography, and a suspended installation.

1. Tea Stain Samples The project begins with creating nine tea stain samples by allowing tea cakes to steep on absorbent paper for varying durations. Each sample captures a moment in the interaction between the tea and paper, reflecting how the pigments spread and deepen over time. This process symbolizes the ritual's slow unfolding, emphasizing time and patience. The stains are preserved to retain their organic patterns, forming the foundation of the project.
2. Photography High-quality photography will capture the visual and textural details of the tea stains using a DSLR with macro settings under controlled lighting. Camera settings will include low ISO (100-200), a small aperture (f/8 to f/11), and manual focus for precise detail. A tripod will ensure stability, and diffused lighting will minimize harsh shadows, emphasizing the stains’ organic forms. Post-production adjustments in Photoshop will enhance the clarity and richness of the images, which will serve as both standalone artifacts and the basis for the installation.
3. Suspended Installation The final medium is a multi-layered suspended installation consisting of six transparent sheets, each imprinted with tea stain patterns representing different stages of time. The sheets will be hung at equal distances in a linear arrangement, allowing viewers to perceive the gradual evolution of the stains from a specific angle. The transparency enables subtle overlapping, creating a cumulative effect that mirrors the passage of time. This design invites viewers to walk around the installation, experiencing the changes in the stains from various perspectives, encouraging reflection and engagement.

Area of Critique Through the evolving tea stains, my project reflects the loss of ritual in modern life. Once a meditative practice, tea preparation has become a quick, convenient task in today’s fast-paced world, diminishing its depth. The gradual transformation of the tea stains on transparent paper symbolizes the passage of time and highlights how rituals that once connected us to ourselves, others, and nature have been neglected. Through this work, time becomes not only a witness to change but also a metaphor for the erosion of ritual, reminding me to reassess my relationship with ritual and to seek those meaningful, slower moments in my busy life.