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.
