26/08/2026
'thicket'
under growth series
sbk
oil on board
2026
unusual to see the abundance of blackberries so soon, isn't it?
brambles occupy such an interesting space between sweetness and harm in our collective experience and mythology. given how often we define our natural neighbours by their usefulness, it's interesting to reflect on the mixture of blackberry-picking memories and traditions juxtaposed with the vicious scratches from unyielding barbed vines.
the thing is: brambles aren't ours to label. like the rest of the ecosystem, they exist with the soul purpose of continuing to exist; growing in indifferent symbiosis with the creatures who find homes and food it its vines.
whether we choose to attribute malice or comfort is our own fiction to manage. they were here before you and they'll be there after, owing you nothing.