This Was Natural

Video, 2024

Colleborated  with Hanzhe Zhang, Special thanks to Iliana Sun


This Was Natural is a video that captures an intimate encounter with manatees, using poetic narration and immersive underwater footage to reflect on the fragile relationship between humanity and nature. The work explores themes of vulnerability, boundaries, and belonging, offering a profound meditation on the raw and unfiltered experience of the natural world.

Evolving from a simple act of observation, the work becomes a contemplative exploration of reality, unearthing the tender yet disquieting emotions of proximity to the wild. By dissolving physical and emotional boundaries, This Was Natural invites viewers to confront their place within the larger ecological narrative, discovering the beauty and fragility of being human in a world that feels at once foreign and familiar.