...in this transient phenomenal world with its constant change, what appears to exist in fact does not.

A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees, Kenko



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Life of flowers is a project inspired by the idea of impermanence and illusion of reality in 
Zen philosophy. Using flowers as an ephemeral subject, I painted them with ‘unreal colours’ to give a feeling of abstraction. In these photographs the flowers are captured out of the flow of time, conveying in this way the illusion of a constant present moment and expanded memory of it.



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Crystals have been used for ornamentation and as a symbol of power for thousands of years, and each of them had a sacred meaning and healing power. That's why they are displayed as totems in an impossible balance.


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These pictures are created with found objects in Hampstead Heath, an island of countryside in the heart of London.
Once I collected my ‘findings’ I joined them together in little sculptures. The name Gold cycle comes from the circularity of time where the seasons repeat themselves in a circle giving a rhythm to the life of the Heath.
The light is natural in order to describe the passing time. I used gold dust to cover the sculptures to make them unique and valuable and describe the atmosphere that surrounds the Heath.



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Sculpting leaves. 
The idea of beauty in Wabi-Sabi is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. I used dead leaves as a subject and added bright colours to emphasise the shapes and the three dimensional qualities of the leaves isolated from their usual context. Then I photograph them as if they were sculptures, showing the beauty of imperfections and their fragility.

...Their branches, twisted and angular, as if suffering cramps, as if the cold is mixed into them. And all the poses of the body, as in the theater or in engravings: thight gestures pulled toward oneself whose only purpose is to prevent the warmth of the body from escaping.

The Japanese Chronicles, Nicolas Bouvier



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This is a collection of trees under the snow in Hampstead Heath, the exceptional weather due to a strong wind coming from Siberia created the right conditions to see the shape of the treesde-contextualised from their background. The exceptional circumstances triggered a reflection on trees as mystical living beings (in Shinto religion trees can guest the Soul of Gods) struggling through the harsh weather. The shape and poses of the trees can tell a story about their life and personality. Some of those trees because of their location and peculiar shape are almost a symbol of Hampstead Heath defining the identity of a community.




Copyright Alessandra D’Innella 2024