{"id":1791069,"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1791069"},"modified":"2026-02-24T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T21:00:00","slug":"kudzu-vines-and-synthetic-leaves-entwine-in-joyce-lins-irrepressible-sculptures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1791069","title":{"rendered":"Kudzu Vines and Synthetic Leaves Entwine in Joyce Lin\u2019s Irrepressible Sculptures"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-8.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a collection of four wooden sculptures by Joyce Lin, including a ladder, table, floor lamp, and chair, all covered in green kudzu plants\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u2018Kudzu Series\u2019 (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson. All images courtesy of Joyce Lin, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Kudzu Vines and Synthetic Leaves Entwine in Joyce Lin\u2019s Irrepressible Sculptures<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-24T17:05:40-06:00\">February 24, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><a class=\"category-nature\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/nature\/\" rel=\"tag\">Nature<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fjoyce-lin-kudzu-wood-sculptures%2F&amp;title=Kudzu%20Vines%20and%20Synthetic%20Leaves%20Entwine%20in%20Joyce%20Lin%27s%20Irrepressible%20Sculptures\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-pinterest has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fjoyce-lin-kudzu-wood-sculptures%2F&amp;description=Kudzu%20Vines%20and%20Synthetic%20Leaves%20Entwine%20in%20Joyce%20Lin%27s%20Irrepressible%20Sculptures&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F02%2Flin-8-960x768.jpg\" aria-label=\"Pin\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-HMIC6Lov\" data-rl_title data-rl_caption title><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tPin\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"470166\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Dubbed the \u201cvine that ate the South,\u201d the infamous kudzu plant has a reputation. The fast-multiplying, invasive arrowroot was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2025\/08\/zac-henderson-palimpsest\/\">brought to North America<\/a> in the 19th century and promoted to ease erosion, although the hot, muggy climate of the Southern U.S. proved too accommodating. For decades, kudzu has spread at a rapid speed, swallowing up roadsides, infrastructure, and really anything in its path. Its seemingly insatiable growth has vaulted the perennial plant to mythic status in Southern ecology, conservation, and culture.<\/p>\n<p>As a child in Birmingham, <a href=\"https:\/\/joyce-lin.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joyce Lin<\/a> was accustomed to the vine, although as an adult, she\u2019s found that it\u2019s difficult to disentangle kudzu\u2019s reputation and tangible influence. \u201cIt is loathed for shading out the native flora, but its impact is often overstated,\u201d she says. \u201cWhile it visibly thrives along roadsides where there is a lot of sun, kudzu is unable to penetrate deeply into forests.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-470166\" title=\"\u201cKudzu Chair\u201d (2025), wood, kudzu vine, epoxy, cloth, wire, and paint\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cKudzu Chair\u201d (2025), wood, kudzu vine, epoxy, cloth, wire, and paint\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cKudzu Chair\u201d (2025), wood, kudzu vine, epoxy, cloth, wire, and paint\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-2.jpg\" alt=\"a detail image of a wooden chair with kudzu leaves and roots covering the back and legs by Joyce Lin\" class=\"wp-image-470169\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cKudzu Chair\u201d (2025), wood, kudzu vine, epoxy, cloth, wire, and paint<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This complicated legacy inspired a body of work that melds vernacular furniture with the plant. <em>Kudzu Series<\/em> comprises four sculptures that wouldn\u2019t be out of place on an abandoned Southern farm. A found metal floorlamp cracks in two, wrapping the leafy plant around a bulb like a lopsided shade. The vines also climb up a wooden ladder, their sinuous roots mimicking the steps of the lower rungs.<\/p>\n<p>Lin is interested in the relationship between reality and fantasy, particularly as she transforms synthetic materials into uncanny knotted bark and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2025\/01\/joyce-lin-sculptures\/\">concentric growth rings<\/a> in the shape of a chair. <em>Kudzu Series<\/em> is no different. While she foraged the thick vines from areas near her home in Houston, the artificial leaves emerged from a laborious process. <\/p>\n<p>Citing the techniques of Michael Anderson, who made models for Yale\u2019s Peabody Museum before retiring, Lin made plaster and silicone press molds. \u201cMy method uses wires sandwiched between dyed shop towels and tissue paper soaked in five-minute epoxy. I painstakingly painted in the veins and details on each leaf. Imperfections of the casts ultimately turned into brown spots and bug holes,\u201d she says. Creating seamless transitions from wood to vine with epoxy clay and utilizing inner armatures adds to the surreal qualities of the works, as the plant appears to sprout directly from the industrial material. Torching, vinegar, and steel wool weathered areas that were too pristine. <\/p>\n<p>Perched on a few leaves are a handful of kudzu bugs, rotund insects that arrived in the U.S. in the aughts and have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/science-nature\/true-story-kudzu-vine-ate-south-180956325\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decimated the vines<\/a>. \u201cThe chair has approximately 332 leaves and one bug, the table has 101 leaves and three bugs, the floor lamp has 162 leaves and two bugs, and the ladder has 117 leaves and one bug, which in total took me a little over a year to make,\u201d the artist says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-470166\" title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Chair\u201d (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Chair\u201d (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Chair\u201d (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-1.jpg\" alt=\"a detail image of an insect on a kudzu leaf\" class=\"wp-image-470168\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cKudzu Chair\u201d (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For Lin, this body of work is a sort of metaphor for persistence and resilience. She adds: <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>It arrived as an outsider, yet it has become an icon of the South, appearing in art, music, and literature. It outcompetes species, yet its flexibility and resilience make it uniquely suited to survive a changing climate. Its roots are edible, its vines are weavable, its fibers can be used to make cloth and paper, and it has been used in East Asian medicine for centuries. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lin is currently teaching at the Rhode Island School of Design and will spend the summer in Philadelphia for the Windgate Arts Residency Program. Follow her work on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jolime\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-470166\" title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Floor Lamp\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Floor Lamp\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Floor Lamp\u201d (2025)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-5.jpg\" alt=\"a detail image of a floor lamp with kudzu leaves and roots covering the base and shade by Joyce Lin\" class=\"wp-image-470172\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cKudzu Floor Lamp\u201d (2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-470166\" title=\"\u201cKudzu Ladder\u201d (2025), wood, kudzu vine, cloth, epoxy, wire, and paint. Photo by Logan Jackson\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cKudzu Ladder\u201d (2025), wood, kudzu vine, cloth, epoxy, wire, and paint. Photo by Logan Jackson\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cKudzu Ladder\u201d (2025), wood, kudzu vine, cloth, epoxy, wire, and paint. Photo by Logan Jackson\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-3.jpg\" alt=\"a person walks by a wooden ladder with kudzu leaves on the upper half by Joyce Lin\" class=\"wp-image-470170\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cKudzu Ladder\u201d (2025), wood, kudzu vine, cloth, epoxy, wire, and paint. Photo by Logan Jackson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-470166\" title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Ladder\u201d (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Ladder\u201d (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Ladder\u201d (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2499\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-4.jpg\" alt=\"a detail image of a branch emerging from a piece of wood by Joyce Lin\" class=\"wp-image-470171\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cKudzu Ladder\u201d (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-470166\" title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Floor Lamp\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Floor Lamp\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Floor Lamp\u201d (2025)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-6.jpg\" alt=\"a detail image of a floor lamp with kudzu leaves and roots covering the base and shade by Joyce Lin\" class=\"wp-image-470173\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cKudzu Floor Lamp\u201d (2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-470166\" title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Side Table\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Side Table\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cKudzu Side Table\u201d (2025)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/lin-7.jpg\" alt=\"a detail image of a table with kudzu leaves and roots covering the surface and base by Joyce Lin\" class=\"wp-image-470174\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cKudzu Side Table\u201d (2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/02\/alex-hutton-rollercoasters-waterslides-oil-paintings\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2018Kudzu Series\u2019 (2025). Photo by Logan Jackson. All images courtesy of Joyce Lin, shared with permission Kudzu Vines and Synthetic Leaves Entwine in Joyce Lin\u2019s Irrepressible Sculptures February 24, 2026 ArtNature Grace Ebert Share Pin Email Bookmark Dubbed the \u201cvine that ate the South,\u201d the infamous kudzu plant has a reputation. The fast-multiplying, invasive arrowroot [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1791069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1791069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1791069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1791069\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1791069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1791069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1791069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}