Fukushima Daiichi

Phytoremediation is the use of green plants to remove pollutants from the environment or render them harmless. Sunflowers absorb radioactive contamination from soil. Millions of seeds were distributed after Fukushima Daiichi’s nuclear plant suffered meltdowns from a major earthquake and tsunami. They lifted spirits and lightened the radiation damage. Sowing flowers of hope for a radioactive free future was the point of departure for this series of water based screen prints and ink drawings. The images were realized after observing, drawing, printing, and experimenting with a small scale sunflower phytoremediation project in my own urban garden.

Phytoremediation (from Ancient Greek φυτο (phyto), meaning “plant”, and Latin remedium, meaning “restoring balance”).