Rachel Amos Designs - Rooted Intention: The Art of the Bonsai

Rooted Intention: The Art of the Bonsai is a collection of twelve postcards exploring how bonsai cultivation reflects the balanced interplay between human intention and nature’s quiet force in their formation process, connected by a green line. Shaped through restraint and care, each tree becomes a miniature, living expression of harmony, transformation, and resilience, embodying principles of stewardship and respect for natural growth. After researching the cultivation process, formation, and shapes of the bonsai, sketches were developed into a final series of postcards, emphasizing observation, abstraction, and iterative design. This completed postcard series was exhibited in a gallery in Kyoto, Japan, highlighting how research and cross-cultural exploration inform creative design outcomes while honoring historical and cultural practices.

Cross-Cultural Exploration

Tojinbo Cliffs | Fukui, Japan

Experiencing the Tojinbo Cliffs emphasized nature’s power shaped over time. Similar to bonsai cultivation, which reflects a collaboration between human intention and natural growth, the cliffs demonstrate nature’s ability to form beauty through its own scale and timeframe.

Tokyo DisneySea’s immersive environments demonstrate how design can guide the experience of nature and fantasy. Similar to the carefully shaped natural forms of bonsai, the park’s crafted landscapes create a controlled yet engaging dialogue between imagination and the environment.

Tokyo DisneySea | Tokyo, Japan

Final 12 Postcard Designs

After researching the processes of cultivating bonsai, twelve postcard designs were created, exemplifying the balanced interplay between human intention and nature.

Bonsai Postcard Design 1

Bonsai Postcard Design 2

Bonsai Postcard Design 3

Bonsai Postcard Design 4

Bonsai Postcard Design 5

Bonsai Postcard Design 6

Bonsai Postcard Design 7

Bonsai Postcard Design 8

Bonsai Postcard Design 9

Bonsai Postcard Design 10

Bonsai Postcard Design 11

Bonsai Postcard Design 12

Japanese Washi Paper Postcard Box Design

The postcard box was constructed from Japanese washi paper, using a wispy-textured light green paper for the outer layer and a muted green interior to echo the balance between delicacy and restraint found in bonsai cultivation. The box’s materiality reinforces the contemplative nature of the postcard series while framing the postcards as a cohesive collection.