MM.XXVI

天と地と – Between heaven & earth.

Part of the East Asian philosophy 天地人「 ten chi jin: heaven, earth, man 」, the Japanese 天と地と「 ten to chi to: heaven and earth and 」only implies the human element without naming it. This visual essay reframes the triad not as separate layers, but as a single, indivisible reality. It echoes the Buddhist principle of 依正不二「eshō funi 」which describes how one’s inner state and the outer world constantly influence and reflect each other.

By dissolving the boundaries between the subjective self and the objective world, this series illustrates a universe in constant dialogue, asking the viewer to be the human element in a world in which we were never meant to be anchored to just one or the other.

Reflection of sky and trees on water surface.
Water surface with seagrass and a few leaves floating on the surface. Reflections of clouds fill the space between the plants.
A close-up of aquatic plants and fallen leaves floating on dark water, with some green reeds and plants along the edge.
Shadow of a hand and arm on pavement, with the thumb of the hand being covered by a feather lying on the ground.
Reflection of Coca Cola billboard on wet pavement.
Mirrored underside of a footpath bridge, showing the sky, clouds, and a couple of trees.
Cattail leaves floating on water, with clouds reflecting on the water surface.
Reflection of sky on water surface with sun shining through clouds.
Shadow of tree branches and leaves on sandy ground.
A close-up of a pond with some aquatic plants and floating flower leaves on the dark water surface.
“We have no need of other worlds. We need mirrors. We don’t know what to do with other worlds. A single world, our own, suffices us; but we can’t accept it for what it is.”
— Stanisław Lem

// OBSIDIAN DREAMS