With Love. From an Invader. – Rhododendrons, Empire, China and Me by Yan Wang Preston

With Love. From an Invader. – Rhododendrons, Empire, China and Me is a year-long field study by artist Yan Wang Preston, centred around a heart-shaped Rhododendron ponticum bush on the outskirts of Burnley, Lancashire. Visiting it every other day, she documented the plant through photography while using her walks as a ritualistic and contemplative practice. Employing tools like infrared cameras and sound recorders, she revealed the rich but often unseen ecological life of the landscape, identifying over 20 animal and 45 bird species in the area.

In addition to observation, Wang Preston engaged in direct, embodied interaction with another rhododendron shrub. She carefully collected its seasonal remnants—fallen leaves, seed capsules, flower buds, and fading blooms—over the course of a year. This slow, tactile process culminated in a companion series titled Autumn Winter Spring Summer, allowing her to respond to the land not just analytically, but intuitively and personally.

The project also interrogates the cultural and political narratives surrounding Rhododendron ponticum, a species introduced to Britain during the 19th century for ornamental and practical use. Once celebrated, this hybrid plant is now labelled as invasive and actively eradicated in conservation efforts. Wang Preston sees this shift as symbolic of a broader anxiety around the “non-native,” prompting questions about how national identity and ecological value are defined, and by whom.

As both a migrant and an artist, Wang Preston uses this project to reflect on belonging—of plants, people, and perspectives. Her conclusion is clear: the rhododendron is not a threat, but a vital, integrated part of the local ecology. With Love. From an Invader. is both a celebration of overlooked beauty and a critique of exclusionary narratives. It is a poetic call to reconsider the boundaries we draw in nature and in society.