Please join us in the gallery for an event from member Carol Isaak, who will be signing and giving a brief presentation about her new book Seasons Lan Su Garden

This event will take place on Sunday.

When COVID curtailed travel, the freedom to photograph regularly in Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden became a vital outlet, easing Isaak’s longing to explore. Lan Su reconnected her with her deep love for Chinese culture. Entering the garden beneath the poetic inscription, "The Garden of Awakening Orchids," I was transported—viscerally and visually—to Suzhou, China.

As she began to explore the Garden’s mysteries, the seasons shifted—and so did my vision. Over three years, I collaborated with the space, allowing my eye to follow its changing light and subtle rhythms. In time, it became my home away from home.

Floating between the magical and the material, I photographed without a plan—simply responding to the Garden.