The Things We Swallow

My batik work, "The Things We Swallow," uses the indigo-dyed traditions of the Miao people to confront our ecological crisis. It depicts a whale, its belly tragically illuminated from within by swallowed plastic waste, adrift in an ocean choked with debris. This piece merges my deep commitment to environmental protection with my journey learning women-centered Chinese craft. By rendering a global issue through the lens of a specific, sustainable cultural practice, I explore the dissonance between human consumption and natural balance. The piece is a quiet, mournful elegy, asking what we force the natural world—and our cultural heritage—to swallow. –Artist statement