Arts Thread

With ‘Arborescent’ ( meaning: like a tree ), Miao Li delves into human-tree relations such as horticulture, Bonsai, and Mongol-Manchu Shamanism and translates the language of trees into artisanal objects, aiming to evoke alternative understandings and appreciations of trees beyond an anthropocentric worldview. To Miao, trees embody sublime entities of great intricacy and beauty. He meticulously studies how stems branch following mathematical principles, how foliage dances in the wind and how roots whisper to each other across endless fungal networks. By studying the crafts of basketry and Jiseung paper weaving, he ingeniously incorporates them into a range of arborescent objects, ranging from somewhat functional baskets to ornamental tree objects and ritualistic door charms. Through his work, Miao invites us to experience the profound interconnectedness between crafts, ecology and mythology and to see ourselves as part of a tremendous, intricate and animate ecosystem.