Formosan Wood is an installation that draws from Salmon’s great grandfather Ryozo Kanehira, a well-known botanist from Japan, who did extensive work in Taiwan during the Japanese occupation. He initially imported plants from all over Asia to Taiwan, to construct Japan’s desired tropical utopia and later came to archive and conserve indigenous plants. The piece investigates the complexity of his legacy in terms of both the incredible conservation work he did yet acknowledging that his endeavor was under a colonialist agenda.
The watercolor and screen prints draw from the collection of Ryozo Kanehira’s plant specimens of native Taiwan’s plants, collected at the Taipei Botanical Gardens. The are displayed along with plants connected to his research in the style of the herbarium, where his original specimens were shown.
This iteration of the piece was shown as part of MURMURS AND PALPITATIONS by Her Environments on 01.10.2018 TCC Gallery Chicago
Photographer by Jordyn Belli
Review of work by NewCity