Drawing inspiration from the poem On the Pulse of Morning by Maya Angelou, A Rock, A River, A Tree explores our intrinsic connection to nature and its place in our future. At an estimated 130 million years old, Malaysia is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world. This connection to nature is rooted deep within our culture as Malaysians. Over time, we have grown and developed as both a people and a nation, expanding outward from humble villages to vast concrete jungles. As we grew, we replaced the trees with skyscrapers, the rock with concrete, and the rivers with flowing highways.

 

Now, through our unconscious desire to return to nature, or a conscious decision to create a desirable “green” city, our eco-friendly mindset has pushed for the reintegration of nature into our lives. As we head towards becoming a city of the future, we see parks, waterways, and greenery arising; elements of man-made nature. This project documents these spaces as well as those who fabricate, maintain and make use of them.