Commissioned for Enloe Health Regional Cancer Center, Chico, CA by Grigio Art Consulting. The concept honors the local ecology and natural history of Chico, California. Utilizing native tree leaves embossed into the clay bring elements of nature into the built environment, to promote an atmosphere of calmness and serenity for those who experience the space.

Evoking the restorative perspective of gazing upward through a woodland ceiling, this installation utilizes ceramic panels imprinted with foraged Platanus racemosa (California Sycamore) foliage. The work conceptually aligns with shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), translating the Japanese research-based practice of sensory immersion into a permanent architectural form. Through its expansive scale and the integration of earth-based materials, including recycled glazes, the installation dissolves the threshold between the built environment and the natural world, fostering healing and peace for those who experience it.

The production of the Sycamore Canopy begins with foraging leaves. Each specimen is collaged over a wet clay tile form which is then preserved through a multi-stage mold making process. Utilizing a specialized flexible mold system, I hand-press every tile to maintain the rich detail of the original leaf bas relief.

The finishing process incorporates recycled blue glaze, applied to achieve the soft depth of a blue sky visible through the branches. This material approach transforms ephemeral organic matter into a durable architectural material. By merging foraged elements with precise casting techniques, the process mirrors the work's core themes: a deliberate act of preservation that transforms ephemeral nature into a stable, enduring form. This is intended to provide a restorative experience, offering the viewer a grounded sense of peace and emotional equilibrium through abstraction and material.

Stoneware, recycled glaze, glaze 

240” x 30” x .5” (609.6 cm x 76.2 cm x 1.3 cm)

2024-2026