04 / 09
What Grows Between Us
The flowers share their ground without becoming the same.
Even the closest friends sometimes hurt one another. What makes a friendship meaningful is not the absence of conflict, but the willingness to acknowledge imperfections and make the effort to grow together.
Making
I painted a stained-glass window design onto a transparent, rippled PVC sheet using glass paints. At its center, two lotus flowers grow side by side, their stems intertwined but their colors and forms distinct. A mouth beneath them suggests how words can hurt those closest to us.
I extended the painting into an installation, arranging dried leaves treated with cyanotype among stones below the window. Hurtful phrases are written on their surfaces.
Documentation
The question
By placing these words beneath the flowers, I consider what allows a relationship to keep growing. Hurt does not automatically become nourishment. Growth depends on reflection, understanding, and taking responsibility for repair. The flowers share their ground without becoming the same.