Synthetic Bloom by 0009: Public Sale Coming Soon on Verse

How Morning Folds

0009 (b. Chris Maestas) returns to Verse with Synthetic Bloom, a new series that feels both organic and constructed. The work explores what could be described as engineered nature. In this latest release, the artist reflects on the tension between the natural world and human-made objects, creating pieces that play with both illusion and material.

At first glance, the artworks look like impressionistic landscapes. You might see fields of wildflowers bathed in soft light, dotted with daisies, poppies, and other blooms in reds, ochres, pale blues, and creams. Yet, as you look closer, it becomes clear that what seems like nature is actually made from crumpled, layered jackets and synthetic fabrics. These materials are carefully arranged to mimic the forms of petals, leaves, and stems. The folds, creases, and textures create an illusion of depth and movement that calls to mind the brushstrokes of a painting.

Wrapped in Folds of Spring

The flowers seem soft and slightly padded, their shapes inviting but also a little uncanny. 0009 gathers and twists the fabric to suggest the delicate symmetry of petals. Pleats and seams give the works a sense of structure and space, while stitched and draped areas echo the natural growth of plants. The material itself, with its hints of warmth and protection, reminds us of clothing meant to shelter the body.

When you look even closer, you begin to notice human figures within the composition. Faces and hands emerge, partly hidden by the textile blooms, creating a powerful contrast between what is living and what is not, between the natural and the artificial. From a distance, these pieces might seem like soft, dreamy fields of flowers. But up close, the illusion fades as the petals reveal themselves to be folds and seams of synthetic fabric.

Draped Night Bloom

With Synthetic Bloom, 0009 builds on years of exploring fabric, form, and pattern. The artist’s earlier interest in the small details of linings, pleats, and seams has grown into large, immersive works where fabric becomes both subject and structure. The folds and layers in these pieces remind us of both clothing and the shapes of the natural world. Where the fabric opens or parts, light and shadow highlight the fragility of this imagined landscape, shaped by human hands.

In this series, 0009 invites viewers to think about where the natural ends and the artificial begins. By using fabric — a material tied to warmth, shelter, and daily life — to recreate scenes from nature, the artist blurs the line between what we think of as real and what is constructed. These works play with our perception, much like the art tradition of trompe-l’œil, but instead of using paint, 0009 uses fabric to create these illusions.

Public sale opens June 30 at 6:00 PM on Verse.works