Nature and Healing

Time in nature, cultural foods and herbal remedies are ancient sources of comfort and healing.

Spending time in nature is an integral part of environmental artist Linda Gass’s life. Her work, “Wetlands Dream Revisited,” depicts an imagined landscape, how Bair Island in the San Francisco Bay would appear if restored to its wild and natural state.

“The wilderness is where I go to find magic and refresh my perspective on life,” Gass writes in her artist’s statement. “Surrounded by tall trees and mountains, I am reminded of my place on this earth: I am a guest here.”

Yolanda Guerra’s painting of Central Park birdwatcher Christian Cooper highlights the fact that spending time in nature isn’t always the same experience for everyone when racism and unconscious bias impact our lives.

Photos of cultural comfort foods made during the pandemic include a Karen Chow family favorite, “George’s Red Bean Soup” with fresh mango, and photographer Andy Nguyen’s “Trái Bâu Soup,” made with a homegrown gourd delivered to his porch by his aunt.

Narsiso Martinez’s paintings and mixed media installations honor farmworkers and the essential work they do. He draws from his own experience as a farmworker and focuses on the people performing labors necessary to fill produce sections and restaurant kitchens around the country.

Yarrow, yerba mansa, lobelia and other native medicinal plants are featured in a poster series by Pantea Karimi. She received a 2020 Holding the Moment art award from the City of San Jose to create this series reflecting on the aftermath of COVID-19. They’re on display at the San Jose Mineta

Airport, International Terminal B, through April.