With Love. From an Invader. Rhododendrons, Empire, China and Me, written by Yan Wang Preston, a Chinese British visual artist interested in landscape representation, identity, migration, and the environment, is a visually and intellectually rich photobook that intertwines ecology, migration, and postcolonial reflection. Published by The Eriskay Connection, the volume combines photographic practice, field research, and critical writing to reconsider the idea of the “invasive species” and its political implications.

At the centre of the book is the rhododendron, specifically Rhododendron ponticum, a plant widely present in the British landscape but often classified as invasive and targeted for eradication. Rather than treating the plant as a problem to be solved, Preston reframes it as a lens through which to examine the historical, ecological, and ideological construction of landscapes. The project stems from a year-long artistic field study: every other day, the artist photographed a heart-shaped rhododendron bush, while also collecting leaves, seed capsules, buds, and flowers from another plant to create artworks. This repetitive and attentive process becomes both a scientific observation and a contemplative ritual.

The strength of the book lies in its ability to move seamlessly between personal narrative and broader environmental debate. As a Chinese-British artist living in the United Kingdom, Preston recognizes a striking parallel between the stigma attached to non-native plants and the rhetoric often directed at migrants. The rhododendron becomes a metaphor for belonging and exclusion, raising uncomfortable questions about who defines what is “native,” who controls the narrative of national landscapes, and whose presence is deemed legitimate.

Visually, the project embraces the photobook format as a space for slow looking and layered interpretation. Preston’s images of the rhododendron bush across changing seasons emphasize duration, resilience, and quiet transformation. The repeated framing of the plant builds intimacy, inviting readers to notice subtle variations in light, colour, and growth. Alongside these photographs, the collected botanical materials and artistic interventions deepen the sense of tactile engagement with the natural world.

Importantly, the book situates this artistic investigation within a wider interdisciplinary context. Essays produced in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh expand the conversation to include ecology, colonial history, and cultural memory. These texts underscore how plant circulation, often driven by imperial botanical networks, has shaped landscapes that are today imagined as “natural” or “national.”

Awarded as Best Dutch Book Designs 2025, With Love. From an Invader is both a love letter and a provocation. It encourages readers to reconsider the language of invasion and purity that frequently structures environmental discourse. By bringing together photography, research, and autobiographical reflection, Preston offers a nuanced meditation on coexistence, suggesting that contemporary ecosystems, like modern societies, are the product of complex histories of movement, exchange, and adaptation.