"Unborn" (2023) is a mixed media sculpture I created in the past couple months integrated wet plate collodion photography with kinetic structure and olfactory sensitivities. It symbolises the cycle of birth and death, raises a thought of the meaning of life and the original quality of all things in nature.

No matter how long or short the life is,
live in the moment.

The sculpture is separated into two parts.
Part A at the right is constructed from an U.K. oak driftwood as a based stand with dry tree branches attach to its back. It has been burned by fire as a traditional way named Shou Sugi Ban (Yakisugi) to preserve wood for its longevity. The burning process turns the driftwood to be resistant to fire, insects, fungus, rot, harmful UV rays with practical value. It switches the so called abandoned and useless piece to have its function again. Whether the unless item is indeed useless, or it has its beauty and purpose in another perspective?

Hanging on the driftwood is a pair of antique baby deer antler from Germany in 1908 to represent the death of a short life.

Above the driftwood are three kinetic structure bronze pieces with reviving mechanism. The bottom bronze piece is cast from leaves of Monstera (Swiss Cheese Plant), the plant naturally have holes on leaves and is an easy care evergreen. It refers to life may have lots of difficulties while still can be positive and live an easy simple life.
The top two bronze pieces are cast from ex teaching hospital human spine and been hand sculptured to have wave curly shape. Spine is the axis for the human body and simplifies the support around us in life and the alignment with those supportive forces. Feel thankful and blessed to have them.

A burned hollow wood egg is attached to bronze with the design of Tai Chi graph, which the original wood block was prepared since 2 years ago to be strong enough for hollow crafting. Tai Chi graph reflects the inescapably intertwined duality of all things in nature as a common theme in Taoism. The egg shape is a symbol of life because it encloses nascent life to emerge from it. It embodies the idea of rebirth and rejuvenation in the cycle of life with neither a beginning nor an end.
Surface of the egg has been crafted with holes with agarwood incenses inside. When the incenses been burned, white smokes are gently come out of the holes and surrounding the sculpture. Agarwood is a fragrant dark resinous wood formed in the heartwood of Aquilaria trees when they become infected with a type of mold (Phialophora parasitica) and secrete a resin to combat the mould. This wood can only be formed when the tree is been inflected or cut. It represents certain elements in life could only be obtained when go through sufferings and difficulties.

Between two bronze pieces there is a morpho helena buttterfly taxidermy from amazon rainforest in Peru (ethical). It is named after greek god "Morph" and is one of the biggest type of butterfly in the world. The entire lifespan for blue Morpho helena's life is around 110 days and it says it has less than a week to live as a form of imago butterfly. The symbolic meaning is no matter how short the life is, you can still live a wonderful life beyond the limitation of time.

At the back of the top two bronze, three lost-wax casted bismuth are attached based on the shape of finger squeeze. It means life sometimes could be tough and we need to push the border to survive within waves, but we will figure it out and go through them.

At the back of the bottom bronze, there is a metal stone crystal from South America where Kon-Tiki departs. Kon-Tiki expedition was a 1947 journey by hand built raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl to prove his assumption even though he has nature fear of water. This crystal is covered by a lime stone (Taihu Stone/ porous stone) with holes shaped by water over time from China. It represents we may encounter fears in our life to step out of comfort zone, but we can overcome it with passions and dreams over time.

In the bronze joining point, there are three human teeth (ethical). Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in human body and could remind in ashes after cremation. It raise a question of what remains after death.

On the left is the Part B of sculpture, it is a burned Thailand chopping board with France grape branch and an U.K. wood plate. The burn pattern represens fire.
On the surface of chopping board is a self-portrait in glass use 19th century wet plate collodion ambrotype technique. The layered glass on top is hammer smashed on the position of left eye. It means even if we are smashed and painful, we can still look into whatever happens and overcome it.

All the different pieces above reflected different periods of myself. They are all part of myself and is a process of questioning my own existence of the unborn.

Life is beyond birth and death.
Live in the moment.

Structure:
Part A media: Wood, Lost-wax casting bronze with patination, Bismuth, Deer antler, Teeth, Stone, Butterfly taxidermy.
Size: 80 (L) * 60 (W) * 140 (H) cm

Part B media: Wet plate collodion ambrotype photography, Glass, Wood.
Size: 67 (L) * 60 (W) * 30 (H) cm