THE QUIET RENEWAL

Photography Series, 2025

A woman with short dark hair, wearing a white ruffled top and black skirt, sitting on a stone ledge outdoors surrounded by green and autumn-colored trees.
A person leaning against a brick wall in an outdoor setting with fallen autumn leaves on the ground.

This project explored the gradual reclaiming and restoration of human spaces by nature, focusing on the slow and continuous relationship between time, environment and material transformation.

Influenced by ideas surrounding anti-anthropocentrism and ecological renewal, I began to reconsider the relationship between humans and nature beyond a human-centred perspective, approaching nature as something capable of growing, spreading and transforming space on its own rather than simply existing as a backdrop for people. Throughout the project, plants, rust, water stains, dust and traces of ageing came together to form a visual narrative centred on decay, regeneration and coexistence. Through styling, material experimentation and image-making, I incorporated natural dyeing, image transfer, fabric ageing and wrapped draping techniques to create garments that felt gradually shaped by time and environment.

A woman with short black hair and red lipstick standing in front of a stone archway with brick walls on either side, wearing a white sleeveless top, black pants, and long black gloves.
A person with short black hair and red lipstick lying on a wooden bench outdoors, wearing a patterned satin jacket, a beige skirt, white tights, and black shoes, with a neutral expression and looking to the side.
A woman with short dark hair lying on a long wooden bench with a wood-paneled backrest, wearing a beige skirt, white leggings, black shoes, and a colorful jacket. She is resting with her eyes looking to the side, and there are fallen yellow leaves on the concrete ground beneath the bench.

The project also deepened my interest in traces of time, environmental atmosphere and the relationship between nature and space, while leading me to experiment with publication and photo book formats as a way of extending visual narrative and viewing experience.

OTHER WORKS

Creative Direction / Styling / Photography / Makeup: Haijia Gao

Model: Amie

A person dressed in black and white walking through a lush, green garden with a small waterway reflecting trees and the sky.
A person with short dark hair wearing a white top and a black skirt, standing outdoors in front of a green bush and trees, with sunlight filtering through the foliage.