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I titled this series Eos after the Greek goddess of the dawn, a reference to a famous myth involving her. The story captures the central tension behind my work: the distinction between living longer and living well.

 

Tithonus was a Trojan prince renowned for his beauty, and Eos fell deeply in love with him. Knowing he would eventually age and die while she remained immortal, Eos asked Zeus to grant Tithonus immortality. Zeus agreed, but Eos forgot to ask for eternal youth. Tithonus therefore lived forever while continuing to age. He eventually became so weak and lifeless that Eos took pity on him and turned him into a grasshopper. What interests me most is the gap between what Eos wished for and what she actually wanted. “I don’t want you to die” is not the same as “I want you to keep truly living.” Tithonus receives infinite time, but without vitality or fulfillment, that time becomes a curse. 

 

Much of the imagery I selected for this photography series draws from my research into Eastern visual traditions, where ideas of longevity and happiness are often expressed through nature. Peaches (the ancient Chinese symbol of longevity), flowers, and lilypads, appear throughout my work as recurring symbols of renewal, abundance, harmony, and ataraxia. These images can carry meaning without feeling overly literal. Each of my pieces feature at least a little bit of nature, suggesting that longevity is cyclical rather than linear. Growth, decay, rebirth, and change are all part of the same process.

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The photographs were taken across different parts of the world (Japan, Thailand, Italy, and New York), but I edited them to feel as though they all were captured in the same dreamlike space. My main focuses while shooting and editing were on color, shape, and form. For example, I concentrated on the rigid curves of an ancient temple roof and the soft, round arcs of the peaches. Wine and purple tones also became a common feature of the series, creating a balmy quality. I also used different features, particularly distortion and layering, to slightly trick the eye and create imbalance, demonstrated in Three Wishes and Fountain of Youth. 

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Technical Specifications

Photographs 1 and 5: FUJIFILM X-T30 III

Photographs 2, 3, 4, and 6: Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III

All images were independently edited in Affinity. No generative AI or AI-assisted editing tools were used.