‘Understories’ is an intimate study of a decaying Beech tree and the lives that are fostered in its death. The work explores the duality of anticipatory grief - where sorrow and loss coexist with the possibility of renewal.

I photographed amidst the undergrowth of a decaying Beech tree for three years, trying to make sense of the existential dread I felt while my father waited for life-saving surgery. Visiting this tree became a solitary ritual that continues long after his recovery. I am compelled to keep returning, to listen to exchanges in a language that is not my own and witness the events of the clearing’s life cycles. 

Around this giant, there is a microcosm of beings. Without the tree's canopy to shade it, an amphitheatre has opened up where lives gather in intricate webs of reciprocal relationships. With each visit I recognise familiar beings and reflect on our past encounters. 

The photographs in ‘Understories’ are hand-printed, using developers made from the plants that grow in the tree’s clearing. The prints are imbued with the plants, creating unique pieces that cannot be exactly replicated.