Severed Life
Severed Life is a sculpture of a Pterocarpus indicus (narra) tree reduced to a stump, its roots wrapping over a galon. It embodies the violence of tree-cutting and the irreversible harm deforestation inflicts on both human and nonhuman life.
This artwork was created in direct response to the Philippine government's sanctioning of the cutting of 617 trees along Quirino Avenue in Manila, including decades-old narra. It is just one example of how the desire to modernize and urbanize clashes with environmental preservation. While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) justifies the removal of these trees by citing a valid permit issued to the Southern Access Link Expressway Corporation and promises to offset the loss by planting 50,700 seedlings, this approach fails to acknowledge a critical truth: seedlings cannot replace the ecological, historical, and emotional value of mature trees.
This artwork was created in direct response to the Philippine government's sanctioning of the cutting of 617 trees along Quirino Avenue in Manila, including decades-old narra. It is just one example of how the desire to modernize and urbanize clashes with environmental preservation. While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) justifies the removal of these trees by citing a valid permit issued to the Southern Access Link Expressway Corporation and promises to offset the loss by planting 50,700 seedlings, this approach fails to acknowledge a critical truth: seedlings cannot replace the ecological, historical, and emotional value of mature trees.
Materials: Paper mache, air-dry clay, styrofoam, acrylic, graphite, battery-powered string light, galon
Dimensions: 14 in x 18 in x 16 in
Date: 2026
Dimensions: 14 in x 18 in x 16 in
Date: 2026