Lilli Waters

Suspended in liquid gold, delicate tulips and black and silver fish hover in quiet harmony, reflecting the Buddhist idea of transformation through light and renewal. In Thai cosmology, gold, thong, embodies purity, enlightenment, and divine radiance. Here, it permeates the water itself, a sacred medium through which nature and spirit meet.

The fish swim in a continuous circle, echoing the Thai Buddhist concept of samsara, the endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Their motion, paired with the tulips, reflects the balance and interconnectedness of all living things, inviting reflection on transformation, renewal, and the rhythm of life.

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."