Between 1997 and 1999, environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill lived for 738 days in the canopy of a 1,000-year-old redwood tree named Luna in Northern California. Her goal was simple but profound: to protect one ancient tree from being felled by logging companies. Her mission soon became a symbol of global environmental resistance.
Kun Fang, a multidisciplinary artist based in Antwerp, Belgium, transforms this real-life story into an evocative visual homage in her newest large-scale work titled Respect Your Elders. The painting, measuring 250 by 350 centimeters, is created entirely with acrylic on recycled materials—a deliberate and powerful choice that reinforces both the subject and the message of the piece.
I was so moved by Julia’s action,” says Kun. “It wasn’t just activism—it was a poetic, powerful act of love and protection. That story has stayed with me for years.
Blending Technique and Purpose
Kun Fang is known for her masterful layering of materials, metaphors, and meaning. In Respect Your Elders, this approach finds its most monumental expression. The surface is richly textured, built up through layers of recycled media and organic tones, mimicking the bark of a centuries-old tree. Every brushstroke feels like part of the forest—earthy, breathing, and alive.
The painting doesn’t illustrate Hill’s tree-sit in a literal sense. Instead, it captures the spirit of it—the dignity of the redwood, the courage of standing still in defiance, and the patience of nature waiting to be heard. A vertical flow leads the eye upward, creating the illusion of looking skyward through a cathedral of towering trees. Embedded within the textures are hints of figures and symbols, suggesting both the human presence in nature and the ancient intelligence of the natural world itself.
The Message Behind the Metaphor
The title Respect Your Elders is a layered play on words. On one level, it’s a well-known cultural saying, encouraging reverence for age and experience. On another, it becomes an ecological mantra, urging society to protect and honor the oldest beings on Earth—our forests. Trees like Luna are not just tall plants; they are silent witnesses to millennia of human history, climate shifts, and biodiversity. They are, in Kun’s words, “the ancestors we forgot to listen to.”
Hill’s act of civil disobedience ultimately saved Luna and drew global attention to unsustainable logging practices in the Pacific Northwest. But it also set a new tone for environmental activism—one rooted in nonviolence, storytelling, and profound empathy. Kun’s work extends that legacy, translating it into visual form to reach new audiences.
A Practice Rooted in Sustainability
Kun’s use of recycled materials is not just aesthetic—it’s philosophical. By repurposing found objects and discarded elements into art, she reinforces the idea that value is not inherent in newness, but in intention. This ethos has been a hallmark of her practice, which spans painting, illustration, video, and design.
My materials often come with their own stories,” Kun explains. “Recycled paper, scraps of fabric, pieces of old signage—these are all fragments of lives once lived. When I work with them, I’m layering stories on top of stories. That’s very fitting for a piece like this, which honors both a personal act of bravery and an ancient tree.
The result is a tactile, immersive painting that feels almost like a relic—something unearthed from the forest floor, bearing the marks of time and care.
The Global Language of Trees
Though Kun is based in Antwerp, her work speaks to global concerns. With over 30 international exhibitions to her name, including shows in London, Berlin, Shanghai, and Tokyo, her art often transcends linguistic and cultural barriers. Her focus on environmental themes, cultural identity, and social reflection is communicated through universally resonant imagery and thoughtful visual metaphor.
In Respect Your Elders, that universality is especially powerful. Trees are not confined to one culture, country, or belief system. They exist everywhere and are revered across the world—as symbols of wisdom, resilience, and life. By honoring one tree and one activist, Kun pays tribute to all ancient ecosystems and all who fight to protect them.
Art as a Tool for Dialogue
Kun’s work has long been celebrated for its ability to open conversations—not just within the art world, but across disciplines. Her paintings are invitations to reflect, question, and engage. With Respect Your Elders, she poses a series of subtle but urgent questions: What do we owe to nature? How do we measure courage? Who are we willing to protect—and why?
Art can’t solve climate change,” she says, “but it can shift how people feel. And feelings are what move people to act.
This philosophy is at the heart of Kun Fang’s creative practice—an ever-evolving exploration of the emotional and ethical landscape of our times.
Conclusion: A Visual Act of Gratitude
Respect Your Elders is more than a painting—it is a visual offering, a thank-you letter to Julia Butterfly Hill, and a reminder of the quiet strength rooted in the natural world. In it, Kun Fang honors a past act of resistance while calling for present-day reverence. Through scale, material, and metaphor, she invites viewers to step closer, to listen, and above all, to respect.
As the world faces escalating environmental crises, works like this serve as both mirror and beacon—reflecting what’s at stake, and illuminating paths forward. In Kun’s hands, a single tree becomes a towering testament to the power of stillness, the wisdom of age, and the bravery of those who choose to protect.
