Ash population in large areas of North America is devistated all due to a small invasive insect, the Emerald Ash Borer. The insects leave behind intricate tracks while they feed on ash trees’ vascular tissue. The lines intertwine and weave into a lacy web. The paths of destruction presented themselves to be calligraphic curves and surprisingly beautiful. The ash borer tracks were the inspiration for Ashen.

Ashen consists two suspended, half-circular structure, each approximately 13’ in diameter. The two half circles facing each other, holding a circular space in between, much like a vast hollow tree trunk. The two half circles are each made of thirteen 7.5’ tall vertical panels (strips of nylon mash dipped in wax), suspended 6” from the floor, and 3’ apart, providing two entrances on either side of the installation for viewers to enter. 

“Onto the screens' surfaces, Liu has drawn meandering, calligraphic-looking lines, which are actually tracings on tree bark from the trails left by emerald ash borers. She makes great effort to capture the marks of this destructive pest in a manner resembling imagery on traditional Chinese screens, and to align the trails as they hop screens, maintaining continuity across the entire installation...

On the surface of one side of the installation, Liu projects video taken of trees in storm. Because the screens are translucent, the projected imagery can be seen on their backsides as well. In fact, occasional holes left in the nylon mesh allow pinpoints of light to shine through the entire installation, much like sunlight passing through a canopy of leaves. The tree branches in the video interact with the drawn patterns, and the screens themselves sway like the leaves in the projection, making the whole piece extremely expressive.”        

—“Hang On, Beili Liu suspends our pleasure”, Nick Sousanis, Metro Times, Detroit MI 1/18/06