Yugen

Yugen is a collaborative artwork created in collaboration with one of my very good friends and an eco-fashion textile artist, Alla Salem. It is an artwork inspired by the Japanese concept of the ‘profound, mysterious beauty of nature that is deeply felt, yet hard to define’. You know that feeling when you are totally immersed in nature and have no words to describe that awe and connection…

Yugen reflects the duality of our relationship with nature, our dependence on resources and the consequences of exploitation. Through the interplay of hard copper and soft wool, we are reminded of our shared role as both custodians of the earth and consumers of its resources.

Responding to Alla’s beautifully felted piece, I worked with recycled copper, chosen for both its lightness and its symbolic link to mining. This was my first time using copper, and I fell in love with its soft, malleable nature. I explored its textures through hammering and treated it like fabric, sewing the sheets together to echo the textile theme of our exhibition. Experimenting with verdigris, I used chemicals like ammonia, salt, and vinegar to create rich blue-green hues, sanding back areas to reveal warm copper tones that complement Alla’s work.