JChadima

The Old Tree in Jardin des Plantes originates in JCHADIMA’s observation of natural forms, where the intricate structures of a flower become the foundation for a broader exploration of growth, movement, light, and abstraction. Rather than pursuing literal botanical representation, the painting seeks to reveal the underlying visual rhythms that connect different forms within the natural world.

The composition concentrates on an enlarged organic structure, transforming petals, folds, and veins into a landscape of flowing contours and layered surfaces. A luminous field of ivory, pale cream, and lemon yellow dominates the painting, while concentrated passages of chartreuse and olive green provide a strong structural presence. Fine accents of ochre and amber move through the composition like branching lines, creating subtle tension while directing the eye across the painted surface.

JCHADIMA moves away from literal representation, allowing the botanical subject to dissolve into an arrangement of organic forms and colour. Petal-like structures begin to suggest canopies, veins become branches, and the concentrated green passage evokes the presence of a trunk. The boundaries between flower, tree, and landscape become deliberately uncertain, establishing a visual dialogue between recognition and abstraction.

The relationship between observation and transformation remains central to the work. Through enlargement and close cropping, a familiar natural subject acquires an almost monumental presence. What begins as botanical observation develops into a more contemplative investigation of colour, structure, and perception. The flower is no longer simply a flower, nor the tree literally described; instead, both become part of a shared visual language of curve, branching, growth, balance, movement, and renewal.

The Old Tree in Jardin des Plantes reflects JCHADIMA’s continuing interest in transforming direct observation of nature into a visual language in which the recognizable subject remains present while simultaneously becoming something more ambiguous and open to interpretation.