Symbiotic Relatives
Statement
Symbiotic Relatives is a space responsive installation of sculptural chemigram prints on silver gelatin paper created in collaboration with plant and soil relatives. Exposure times ranging from a couple of hours to a few days empower plant, soil and surrounding land relatives time to record their auras. Chemical compounds are introduced to prints during and/or after exposure. These include personal and culturally relevant materials such as natural and synthetic dyes, spices and food waste. The resulting prints embody stories of symbiosis, colonization and survivance carried by human and non-human living entities. With care, I prune each print, responding to the forms left during exposure. The result is a dialogue between my immigrant body and the land with which I cohabitate.