For Shoyuan Bai, making his “The Grain” collection was a process of searching, observing and composing. Bai was inspired by Karesansui, also known as the Zen gardens, which embody the essence of Zen Buddhism and represent a visual aspect of the Zen aesthetic. Through his works, Bai strives to introduce his personal perception of Zen. He seeks wood pieces that possess characteristics of vitality, for example imperfections like cracks and knots that show the life that was once present in trees. He then reshapes the wood into rectangular slices, directing our attention to the fragments that contain their essence. Bai was born in Shenzhen, in southern China, and arrived in the United States in 2007 to continue his high school and college education. After graduating from Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine, he pursued his undergraduate degree at Pratt Institute in New York.
