Breath of Ashes

This photography project reflects on the intertwined realities of life, death, and the passage of time. Cigarettes, reduced to ash and abandoned, symbolize death—an embodiment of consumption, finality, and the choices that hasten our mortality. By contrast, leaves represent life, with their intricate veins and organic beauty reminding us of nature’s vitality. Yet, as they fall and decay, the leaves also become markers of time’s relentless progression, signaling the fragility and ephemerality of existence.

Through the juxtaposition of human-made remnants and natural decay, the series speaks to the transient balance between creation and destruction. Cigarettes, consumed in moments of indulgence, leave behind ashes that symbolize the inevitability of endings. Fallen leaves, once full of life, now scattered and decomposing, reflect the cyclical rhythm of time, a journey from growth to decline and back to the earth.

The monochrome palette strips away distractions, focusing on the textures of ash, earth, and decay. These images invite the viewer to confront their own place within this delicate cycle of life and death, to see beauty not only invitality but also in the quiet passage of time.