Noticing Moss in the City’s Quiet Spaces
Over the past 2 years, moss, a small yet mighty plant, has found its way into my work in quiet, persistent ways. Not the luscious-type that you see in forests, but the small, unassuming patches that live in our cities. These “urban moss-scapes” have become a compass for my textile art practice, appearing on tree bark, or pushing through the cracks along the roadside as gentle reminders to slow down.
In a fast-paced place like Singapore, moss feels like a soft rebellion. A quiet insistence that nature continues to grow alongside our concrete. Each time I pause to look more closely, I’m reminded of the value of stillness and renewal, and of the rich stories held in overlooked ecological pockets. I am also reminded of the beautiful poem
These quiet encounters inspired my new series of textile–concrete rock sculptures, formed through a blend of material experimentation and patient observation.
Urban Moss-Scapes: Inspiration Behind Still It Grows
Moss thriving on pavement bricks, drains, and garden walls taught me something about resilience. These tiny ecologies exist in tension with the built environment, and that contrast softness on stone, life on concrete, became the essence of this new collection. This contrast also reminded me of Wang Wei’s poem, 《鹿柴》 (Deer Enclosure) where his words evoke imagery of filtered light in the darkness of the forest and stillness and quiet growth.
For the new series, Still it Grows, I’m not trying to recreate moss in a literal sense, but to translate its qualities:
persistence and renewal;
delicateness; and
the ability to transform any surface it touches
These qualities inform the shapes, textures, and stitched marks in the new pieces. In many ways, they act as small invitations to pause and notice the quiet ecologies beneath our feet.
Would you like to make your home a place of reflection, growth, and quiet rediscovery? Here’s what the pieces could look like in your home.
My work spotlighted at the Affordable Art Fair Singapore