Growth in Layers
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.
I began with a 3D-printed pinecone as the base form, chosen for its natural association with growth, resilience, and cyclical renewal. Using the original pinecone, I created a silicone mold that allowed for the mass production of consistent plaster duplicates.
The evergreen surface references long cycles of growth and resilience, drawing a parallel between the pinecone’s natural life cycle and the human experience. The plaster casts were delicately sprayed with an evergreen finish, emphasizing themes of vitality, endurance, and regeneration.
This process allowed me to reflect on growth as something non linear and cyclical rather than fixed or constant. The pinecone became a metaphor for resilience, carrying the potential for regeneration even during periods of dormancy. By repeating the form through casting, I emphasized how growth is experienced collectively yet personally, with each cycle feeling familiar but never identical. The evergreen finish reinforces the idea of endurance through change, symbolizing the ability to remain rooted while adapting to new seasons. Much like trees shedding their leaves in October to survive winter or blooming again in April, this work mirrors the human experience of letting go, retreating inward, and eventually reemerging transformed. The piece ultimately serves as a meditation on patience, renewal, and the quiet strength required to continue growing through inevitable transitions.