During the creation of this piece, I reflected on the phrase, “The earth was here before us, and it will be here after us,” as both a sentiment of hope and a reminder of our impermanence. It offers hope for future life while also evoking a deep sense of despair regarding humanity’s darker tendencies— such as greed and negligence.

There is beauty and gentleness in the human spirit, which, like nature, holds the power to nurture and sustain life while also possessing the capacity to destroy it. Our relationship with this planet is marked by a delicate balance between care and carelessness. Yet, beneath our surface-level actions—our rights and wrongs, our progress and destruction—there exists a world far beneath us, burning and growing, indifferent to our existence.

This piece explores the duality of hope and despair in the face of climate change, acknowledging both the life-giving and life-taking forces at play. Just as life and death coexist in this plane, so too does our manipulation of nature for survival, such as in the cultivation of crops and manipulation of landscape. It also examines the unequal way we value human and animal lives, as well as our unwavering belief in evolution and innovation, often pursued without equal consideration of greed’s consequences.

At its core, this piece seeks to illuminate the tension between creation and destruction, between our hope for the future and the weight of our impact on the world.