I feel the pain and see the beauty

I feel the pain and see the beauty by Barbara Prada from

designer's own words:

This is an exploration of the ephemeral and fragile nature of life. The flower as a symbol of birth, love and ultimately death.

In discovering the works of Masaoka Shiki, whose short life was blighted with illness, the connection was made between the fleeting life of a flower and the art of a poet who shone brightly but briefly.

‘I feel the pain and see the beauty.’ – Masaoka Shiki

Shiki, Masaoka, and Janine Beichman-Yamamoto. “Masaoka Shiki’s A Drop of Ink.” Monumenta Nipponica, vol. 30, no. 3, 1975, pp. 291–315. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2383584.

The flower chosen for this project is a variety of fuschia. It was selected for its slender form, elegant proportions and vibrant colours.

The production technique involves the suspension of plant matter in liquid, illuminated with a combination of light frequencies from varying angles to highlight the detail of the subject matter.

The photographs are captured using a macro lens with a long exposure time.

The ethereal nature of the photographs is enhanced with the diffusion of inks into the glass tank.

‘I feel the pain and see the beauty.’ – Masaoka Shiki Shiki, Masaoka, and Janine Beichman-Yamamoto. “Masaoka Shiki’s A Drop of Ink.” Monumenta Nipponica, vol. 30, no. 3, 1975, pp. 291–315. JSTOR