Growth in Layers is a project that combines craft, technology, and nature to explore the transformative processes that underpin both human development and the natural world. Starting with a 3D-printed pinecone, I made a silicone mold to mass-produce plaster duplicates that were delicately sprayed with evergreen. The evergreen finish represents vigor and resilience, alluding to the long cycles of growth and regeneration that define both the pinecone and the human experience. The work draws parallels between human growth and seasonal change, with each stage representing a transition just as trees shed their leaves in October to prepare for winter or bloom afresh in April, we too go through cycles of shedding, hibernation, and regeneration.

The work draws parallels between human growth and seasonal change, with each stage representing a transition just as trees shed their leaves in October to prepare for winter or bloom afresh in April, we too go through cycles of shedding, hibernation, and regeneration. These modifications are complex, cumulative, and intricately linked, much like the structure of a pinecone itself. The mass production technique emphasizes the repetition and ubiquity of these cycles, while the tactile character of the products encourages thought on how change is both personal and universal. This project urges viewers to think about how growth, whether in nature or in ourselves, is a process characterized by resilience, adaptation, and the beauty of evolution throughout time.