Lilli Waters

Beneath a starry, glimmering night sky, golden fish dwell in a liminal realm where earth and cosmos meet, evoking hidden celestial worlds in the spirit of Devaloka: the heavenly realms of divine beings in Buddhist cosmology. Waterlilies, or บัว (bua), long symbols of purity and spiritual awakening, appear as a luminous, sacred presence beyond the earthly plane. Stars remind us of impermanence and enlightenment, while the night sky frames a contemplative space that emphasises mystery, tranquillity, and the passage from the mortal to the divine.

The interplay of light, water, and life forms a symbolic bridge between worlds, inviting reflection on transformation, connection, and the unseen threads that link the terrestrial and celestial, the natural and the spiritual.

Says Lilli Waters of her photographic series ‘Sunken Water Gardens สวนใต้น้ำ’, “I explore my Thai heritage and ancestral mythology, drawing from the Buddhist cosmology of Traiphum, the Three Worlds, encompassing the celestial (heavenly), the terrestrial (earthly), and the infernal (underworld). These ethereal underwater still-life landscapes intertwine plants, flowers, and fish to create tranquil, meditative scenes that reflect my preoccupation with the natural world while connecting to cultural memory. Offerings of flowers and water become gestures linking the living with the divine.

"I have always felt a detachment from my Thai heritage, yet I see it reflected in the way my mother looks and in gestures that feel familiar. I am
deeply curious about what has been carried across generations, the weight of trauma and nostalgia, the silences, the absences, and the things never spoken but deeply felt. Through my underwater still-life photography, I explore the intersection of these cultural identities, blending traditional Thai symbolism with contemporary artistic expression."