Jason Koster’s 2023 photography series, Of Seed and Self, is a visually striking exploration of identity, gesture, and transformation. As the first series photographed after his Being Seen series, Koster considers Of Seed and Self to be a portrait series as well. In this series, Koster’s subject is the seedpod of the Devil’s Claw plant–an ageless, genderless, natural object reimagined through multiplicity and scale. The seedpod is a natural vessel that bridges past, present, and future.
Nearly silhouetted and suspended against a stark field of white, each seedpod is rendered with clarity and shadow. Their textured surfaces and clawed extensions emerge not only as botanical curiosities but as giant, emotive, insect-like figures caught in human-like gestures.
The series introduces each pod as a lone individual, then through compositional pairing with itself the pod emerges anew as a botanical inkblot test inviting subjective interpretation.
The new figures are created as abstract visual metaphors for the types of transformations that occur during various situations in life. The results range from pods appearing in turbulent conflict with themselves, while others ignite into beauty and strength.
The files for these images allow for prints where the seedpods are human-size. By monumentalizing the miniature, a seedpod that started the size of your hand is now as big as the viewer. The dynamic presences commands the respect of the viewer creating a bold experience with an object that, in real life, might easily be overlooked.
In the end, the series is an invitation to look more closely at these charismatic forms. Koster reveals echoes of our own experiences—moments of tension, connection, growth, and change. The seedpod becomes both subject and mirror.