I Am One and Also Two

An installation made up of 1,341 individually handmade, ceramic Ginkgo leaves. After the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, six Ginkgo trees were found still living and thriving in the devastated area. Because of their resilience the Ginkgo is thought to be the oldest living tree in the world and is considered a living fossil. Using the leaves of the Ginkgo tree as a symbol for resilience, my piece seeks to convey the balance of seemingly opposing forces: strong vs. weak, resilient vs. fragile, closed vs. oped, guarded vs. vulnerable, controlled vs. emotional. Rather than being two forces on opposite ends of an emotional spectrum, each pair of words are more related than they may first appear. We gain strength from being weak