Works of Taiji Terasaki: On Rewilding

The remote atoll, once devastated by human activity during World War II, has since rebounded through thoughtful stewardship by scientists and conservation specialists, and has become a living laboratory to explore solutions to the critical environmental challenges of our time.

In his art, Terasaki uses multiple techniques— both established and innovative— to feature Palmyra’s rich and diverse ecosystem. Images of the atoll are projected onto columns of live mist to convey the delicate and ephemeral quality of a balanced ecosystem. Video stills are fused with the artists signature mist photography to represent the complex food chains found on Palmyra. Traditional still photgraphs are printed on custom Japanese handmade paper and given a hologram effect through a unique mounting process.

Terasaki’s work highlights nature’s resilience and the vitality of Palmyra’s restored effort, and gives us hope. Terasaki would like to thank Osamu Hamada of Hiromi Paper for the Japanese Handmade Paper featured in the “Fragility” paper series of the exhibit.