Kristina Chan’s practice explores narrative and place, evoking a felt history through printmaking, alternative photography, and sculpture. Each work tells a story, exploring our relationship with place, constructed through personal and collective experience. Bankia Seeds was inspired by a 2019 residency in Australia which coincided with the height of the bushfire season in New South Wales and where Chan witnessed the land’s capacity for regrowth, renewal and survival in the face of natural disaster, invasive species and human impact.
Banksia Seeds is a sculpture in 3 states: the seed before, during and after the fire, showing the resilience and strength of nature. Banksias are pyrophtes, which means they have evolved to germinate in fire, leading them to not only survive but thrive despite these devastating bushfires.
This work took on a greater meaning for Chan upon her return to the UK and experience of lockdown in 2020. Cast in bronze, they began to represent the strength, resilience, and perseverance we find within ourselves.
, 2020)
