NATURAL BALANCING

Chinatown Soup is pleased to present Natural Balancing, an exhibition of photographic works and interactive, mixed media by Soup Studio resident Kana Gray, on view from August 21, 2025. Please join us for an opening reception, 6 to 8pm.

Natural Balancing traces Kana’s journey from the banyan trees of Honolulu to the streets of New York City. The project began in 2019, when Kana moved to Oahu and became captivated by the sprawling root systems of tropical trees. This experience sparked the artist's lasting sense of connection and groundedness, as well as her deepening interest in how to find harmony between urban life and the natural world.

The exhibition includes digital photographs printed on fine art paper, a centerpiece painting, and a range of sculptural installations. Portraits taken in studio and around the Lower East Side feature New Yorkers wearing rope harnesses designed by Kana. These ropes, made of natural cotton and jute, act as symbolic roots that wrap the body, recalling the forest's embrace. Photographs of landscapes from Hawaii and Nepal accompany these portraits, emphasizing the relationship between human form and natural structure.

Rope-wrapped objects, including a chair, bench, and Buddha statue, as well as a painted backdrop and a freestanding arch entrance made of metal and clay also feature. A suspended rope wall displays double-sided portraits, inviting viewers to walk through the space as if moving through an unfolding ecosystem. A painting titled Year of the Wood Snake, 2025 reflects on personal transformation and renewal, drawing on traditional symbolism associated with wisdom, intuition, and letting go of the past.

Throughout the exhibition, Kana will be present on select days, offering on-site custom rope harnesses with  portraits available in front of green painted backdrop. Appointments for these public sittings will be announced in advance via Instagram Stories @fromkanawithart and @chinatownsoup.

Through this work, Kana offers a quiet but persistent call to reimagine how we live in relationship with nature and one another. In a time marked by speed and disconnection, Natural Balancing opens space for reflection, care, and the possibility of growing new roots.