Coral Luminance captures Henry Hu's personal experience of diving off the coast of Tioman Island. Once a fertile and vibrant coral eco-system, Hu encountered first hand the impact of coral bleaching. In the desolate white landscape, the only form of life he saw was a solitary sea turtle.
Slowly shifting from vivid colour to stark white, the coral sculptures visualize the process of bleaching, caused by warming seas and ocean acidification through human activity. Though our carbon emissions may vanish into the atmosphere, Coral Luminance reminds us that much of it ends up in the ocean, disrupting fragile chemical balances and halting coral growth.
Yet the work is not without hope. It is a metaphor for repair: a call to protect what is vital, to recognise that resilience depends on action, and to see beauty not only in what has been lost, but in the effort to restore it.
***Printed from recycled plastic by vanPLESTIK, each coral form is shaped by Hu’s original 3D renderings, previously featured in his immersive animation for VIVID Sydney. The subtle imperfections of the recycled plastic used in the printer lend to an organic, life-like texture, bringing the digital render into the physical world in an organic way.
