Sunflowers
10,000 Suns
As one of the postcards in Providence—10,000 Suns is a project by my RISD professor, Adam, an annual summer-long landscape project that transforms a former highway site into a thriving sunflower field.
I had the opportunity to volunteer, nurturing these flowers from seed to bloom, witnessing their life cycle unfold—from fragile sprouts in late spring to golden radiance in summer, and finally, their withering in the fall.
A ghost and a tribute
Sunflower is a glass casting piece born from a cycle of growth, transformation, and remembrance. I poured molten glass over real sunflowers I nurtured in the spring, allowing the intense heat to consume the organic forms, leaving behind delicate imprints of what once was. The final sculpture is both a ghost and a tribute—an artifact of loss and celebration, holding onto the textures and traces of the flowers that once thrived.
The paradox of ephemerallity and endurance
Under a microscope, the imprint reveals astonishing details—the delicate texture of petals preserved in glass, blurring the line between destruction and preservation. This permanent piece tells the story of a fleeting moment, capturing the paradox of ephemerality and endurance.
