The Tree That Became a Pillar · Intimate Collector Edition

At Banteay Kdei, a spung tree rises before the temple like a column the forest has made for itself. Its pale trunk gathers the light; its roots move across the broken stone with the slow authority of water. Behind it, the dark towers remain watchful, weathered, and silent.

This intimate collector edition asks to be approached closely. At twelve inches square, the image becomes a quiet threshold rather than a commanding presence: bark, root, shadow, and carved stone drawn into a scale suited to contemplation. The viewer comes near enough to feel the grain of living wood against the ruined masonry, and to sense how patiently the forest has entered the temple’s breath.

I made the image in black-and-white film, attending to the encounter between two architectures: one built by human devotion, the other grown by time. In the darkroom, shadow and light were drawn into balance so that the pale force of the tree and the dark gravity of the sanctuary could remain in living tension. Hand-toning followed, giving each print its own subdued pulse.

Printed on Hahnemühle Bamboo, signed, numbered, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, this first numbered print from the 12-inch edition is prepared as a close-held object of reflection. It carries Banteay Kdei in its most intimate register: root and tower, light and ruin, the forest’s long prayer made visible.

May it rest where patience is still recognised as strength.

Enter the Artist’s Journal to walk deeper into the hush behind this image.