Pear Sunburst Chromatogram

Soil chromatography is like taking a photo of the compounds and bacteria that make up soil or plants.

Pear from my cousin’s garden

In 2023, Mari’s cousin Sik Fi gave them pears he grew in his garden in Chicago’s Chinatown. This was one of the first prints they made with fruit, and one of their favorite prints from The Land Loves Us collection. To make chromatograms, they fold xuan paper into different shapes. Unfolding this print in September, as winter beckoned, felt like they were unwrapping a precious gift. Like they had captured the spirit of the summer sun that nurtured their cousin’s pear tree. This print features golden yellows with hints of pink.

The original chromatogram featured in the exhibition, Mari Miller: The Land Loves Us, at the Chinese American Museum of Chicago in early 2024. It also featured in the promo materials they designed for the show. Learn more about the exhibition here.

This is a giclee print (aka a digitally printed copy) of a chromatogram made by Mari Miller for their body of work titled The Land Loves Us. You will receive a 10″ x 10″ unframed reproduction print. Note that while photos match the prints’ colors as closely as possible, colors may vary among different computer monitors. What appears on your monitor may not reflect the exact shades of color in the print.