Through Cendres vertes, I explore the intersection of material history, ecological memory, and human presence. Cendres vertes is a sculptural meditation on the tension between connection and separation. Carved from a 4x4 lumber, its form oscillates between anthropomorphism and transience, simultaneously evoking a human figure and a charred matchstick. The surface is dyed with indigo, a living material that transitions from green to blue through oxidation, embodying a narrative of transformation and decay over time. At the sculpture’s top, faint imprints of indigo flowers appear—symbolic of the indigo vat’s core and the life source of the dyeing process.

However, this life source comes at a cost. The fake burnt top of the sculpture, marked by these indigo flower traces, evokes a severed connection to its origins. Indigo, extracted from a living ecosystem, represents a rupture: the destruction of the delicate ecological balance necessary to sustain its vitality. This juxtaposition—the beauty of the indigo gradient against the visual metaphor of combustion—highlights the fragility of the systems upon which we depend.

The sculpture occupies an interior space before a floor-to-ceiling window, assuming a dual identity. By day, it acts as a sundial, casting shifting shadows that reflect natural rhythms it can no longer access. By night, the reflective glass creates a ghostly image of the figure returning to the natural world outside, as if reuniting with the forest it once belonged to. Yet its placement within human architecture underscores a fundamental disconnection—it is trapped within the confines of human design, gazing out at an expansive nature it cannot reach.

This work examines the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world. The indigo gradient, transitioning from vivid hues to the raw wood beneath, encapsulates a temporal flow, reflecting humanity’s impact on the environment—creation, transformation, and loss. Through its resonance with both grandeur and fragility, Cendres vertes becomes a silent witness to the Anthropocene, inviting viewers to reflect on their position within this unfolding narrative. It asks: how do we reconcile our role as agents of change with our yearning for connection to the natural world?

The sculpture’s placement emphasizes the tension between human architecture and the natural world, prompting viewers to reflect on their relationship with their environment. In its stillness and simplicity, Cendres vertes serves as both a witness to and participant over time, shaped by light, shadow, and the gaze of those who encounter it.
  
  

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