Ruoqi Wu

One of the first words I learned in English was ‘jungle’. The word not only means tropical forest but also serves as a metaphor. One of the word combinations that struck me the most is ‘the urban jungle’ - usually, I understand, a negative phrase. But what if the city can literally be represented as a jungle?

Growing up in modern cities, I experienced a typical urban lifestyle and thus found solace in the countryside and forest. When I moved to London, I was surprised by how green it was for a city, as there are enough trees in London that could technically qualify as a forest. I wonder, what will life be like if we live in a city-as-forest, and forest-as-city?

In Memory of Passing Seasons documents my experience walking around London. While walking, I am always fascinated by leaves falling from the tree and have the habit of observing and collecting them. Bring some leaves back home every time I walk outside, I gradually have a small collection on my windowsill. Looking at each leave reminds me of the time and space of encounter, as well as my personal memory and struggle in different phases. Using the technique called Bundle Dyeing, I incorporate them directly into the work, hoping to eliminate the boundary between me and ‘nature’ to let nature work itself, while still expressing a sense of care, hope, and softness, and recording my personal feelings and memories in the city.

My work focuses on exploring the interaction of the human and the natural worlds and speaks to the need for balance. Using carbon paper and hand-printing tools, I traced the patterns directly on the tree bark, while paying attention to its shape, texture, and flow as well as my mind and gesture. Through physical interactions (touching, smelling, listening ...), I got closer and built a relationship between myself and the tree. After tracing, the image was transferred into cotton muslin and then placed in a series of natural environments where the piece was made.

I want my work to be delicate but enduring, just like nature itself. While they are not designed to perfectly blend in, I hope they can show us a better way to treat our world, in which human creation can complement nature, instead of trying to overcome it. I’d like to present a hopeful future, one where humans have learned to respect, thrive, and integrate with our natural environment.