Bird, Plane, Butterfly.
published by Jap Sam Books (Spring 2025)
design: Jeremy Jansen
photography: Antoinette Nausikaä
edit: Antoinette Nausikaä, Ellen Sanders, Jeremy Jansen
Printed by Robstolk, Amsterdam 

Price €35,- available via Jap Sam Books

Bird, Plane, Butterfly is the sequel to Breathing Mountains (2018), in which Antoinette Nausikaä explored the relationship between humans and nature in remote, sacred mountain regions. In her new book, she shifts her focus from the distant mountains to the dynamic and chaotic urban landscape.

The metropolis is often viewed as a symbol of acceleration, transience, and alienation—a place where we are constantly bombarded by a stream of impressions, information, and images. Yet, after observing that human presence is always evident even in the remotest corners of nature, she became convinced of the reverse: even in the city, the most human and ever-changing environment, it is possible to discover harmony, timelessness, and a natural connection—provided we remain open and take the time to observe the wonder around us.

In Bird, Plane, Butterfly, Nausikaä invites the viewer to slow down, embracing the power of contemplation and observation to experience the natural interconnectedness and wonder within our everyday surroundings. To explore this theme, Nausikaä has, in recent years, collected photos, drawings, and writings during her wanderings through major cities around the world.