• glimmer image
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glimmer, 2020.

glimmer features the movement of butterfly wings in response to light. When uninterrupted, the wings lay open; when approached, the wings close, triggered by the shadow of the viewer.

The piece evolved into an expression of the dichotomy and hypocrisy of our appreciation for nature and our everyday actions destroying it. From the California Super Bloom being shut down because of the hordes of visitors crushing flowers for their Instagram pictures, to the clothing unsustainably produced by fast fashion brands with flowers and succulents embroidered on the hems, to the greenwashing in response to plastic straws being used to hide even more atrocious acts of corporate environmental devastation, the consequences of our thoughtless actions contradict the apparent intent.

From afar, the iridescent blue of the open wings captures our attention. As we approach, the butterflies react to the shadows we cast, revealing to us the consequences of our actions as they hide what drew us to the display in the first place.

- inspired by the camouflage of blue morpho butterflies

Emily Kim
B.S. Bioengineering, 2021 | UC Berkeley Visual Arts |
Emily is a third-year undergraduate student studying bioengineering at UC Berkeley. While she is not new to creating, with experience in creative writing, this is her first major visual arts piece. Her work broadly focuses on vignettes, teasing out the nuances of a singular moment or action, with an emphasis on specific and thoughtful details integrated into the piece. More recently, her themes have become more pointed, reflecting a new sense of urgency and a desire to make purposeful art.