Day 4885: Meticulous Stitched Leaves & TBT & Japan's Last Heir.

"Urban Chaos": acrylics & digital.

                                                                       

  

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2GN2S

Meticulously Stitched Leaves Transform into Tender Sculptures by Susanna Bauer

Detail of “Where We Grow II.” Photo by Ian Kingsnorth.
All images courtesy of Susanna Bauer

In the autumn, abundant leaves fall from deciduous trees, leaving traces of a season’s job well done. Simultaneously everywhere and yet tiny symbols of the fragility of our forest ecosystems, these delicate specimens spend all summer photosynthesizing and making sure their trees get the nutrients they need. Once their job is done, Susanna Bauer’s beautiful and intimate pieces begin.

“Close” (2025), gingko leaves and cotton thread

Known for her lacy leaves meticulously stitched with cotton thread, Bauer transforms magnolia, gingko, oak, and other varieties of leaves into elegant, tiny textile pieces. Whether filling a precisely cut circular void, joining pointy edges, or merging multiple leaves together, the materials converge in a study of strength and vulnerability.

“Unfolding” (2025), magnolia leave, cotton thread, and wood. Photo by Ian Kingsnorth

If you’re in southwest England, see new works currently on view in Rock Paper Scissors at CLOSE Gallery, a group exhibition featuring work by a total of a dozen artists, some of whom Colossal readers may also recognize, like Kate MccGwire and Hew Locke. The exhibition continues through January 17 in Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset. Find more on Bauer’s websiteand Instagram.

“Daydreaming” (2025), magnolia leaves and cotton thread. Photo by Ian Kingsnorth

“Moon.86” (2025), magnolia leaf and cotton thread. Photo by Ian Kingsnorth

“An Autumn Story” (2025), magnolia leaves, cotton thread, and wood

“Adjustment IV” (2025), magnolia leaf and cotton thread. Photo by Ian Kingsnorth

Detail of “Adjustment IV”

“Where We Grow II” (2025), plane tree leaves and cotton thread, 44.5 x 44.5 centimeters.
Photo by Ian Kingsnorth

“Looking Glass” (2025), oak leaf and cotton thread

One of the benefits of day class with Demura Sensei, every Wednesdays we went with Sensei for Pho together. This was always special &fun. Sometimes Mei Okumura made dessert!

2016

Prince Hisahito occupies a uniquely fragile position in modern history. As of today, he is Japan’s only young male heir in the imperial line, making him central to the future of the world’s oldest continuous monarchy—one that traces its lineage back more than 2,000 years.

Japan’s Imperial House Law allows only male heirs descended through the male line to ascend the throne. With decades of declining births within the imperial family, this rule has dramatically narrowed the line of succession. Prince Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Akishino, now stands as the sole male of his generation eligible to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne.

This reality places enormous symbolic weight on one individual. Without a future male heir, Japan would face an unprecedented constitutional and cultural dilemma. The monarchy would not vanish overnight, but it would be forced into a crisis—either revising centuries-old succession laws or confronting the possibility that the imperial line could eventually come to an end in its current form.

The situation has reignited national debate. Many citizens support allowing female emperors or retaining imperial status for women who marry outside the royal family. Others argue that changing the succession rules would fundamentally alter an institution defined by tradition and continuity. For now, the law remains unchanged, leaving Prince Hisahito at the center of an unresolved crossroads.

His existence represents more than royal inheritance—it symbolizes the tension between tradition and modernity in Japan. Whether the monarchy adapts or holds firm, the future of a 2,000-year legacy rests on decisions that extend far beyond a single prince.

 

  

 

A 5+ minute video, Shellproof,  here

 

   

Just because ...

Hawaiian Cutia

 

Thursday's Smiles ... 

 

Dori Patrick

 

 

     Hoping you feel all the good things in your day.