A small list of knowable things
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#20. Ficus Audrey (Ficus benghalensis)

On displaying what you are proud of

Jonny Sun

Jan 31

This is entry number 20 of my newsletter, A small list of knowable things. As a reminder, if you are reading this entry but haven’t subscribed to the newsletter yet, you can subscribe here — you'll get a new drawing and essay in your inbox every week. Thank you for reading, as always!

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My current favorite houseplant is the Ficus Audrey. Its silhouette, in my opinion, is perfectly balanced. Its large, matte green leaves (perfectly-, almost-generically-, shaped leaves of a deep, pleasing dark green color accentuate the bold light green veins that reach across their surfaces) are distributed evenly along a straight, elegant central stalk, distanced just far enough apart from each other that each leaf is legible as its own, beautiful object.

The stalk is like a display structure, presenting a gallery of perfect leaves, each leaf carefully arranged and poised at a different angle, so that looking at the plant as a whole allows you to see every single possible angle of the leaf it has designed. The plant feels as if it is saying, I spent a lot of time designing the perfect leaf, so please look at it from every possible angle. Let me make it easy for you to appreciate my leaves. Here, I’ll space them out for you so you can appreciate them with the care I’ve made them with.

Perhaps, then, I am drawn to the Ficus Audrey because it is a proud plant. It stands tall, knowing that it makes beautiful things, and is confident in showing off each of its creations. I do not imagine that if I were a plant, I would express myself in the same way.

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From quietly provocative international best selling author and TV writer Jonny Sun, A small list of knowable things is a weekly illustration and reflection on a personal object close to his heart. If you haven't already, you can subscribe here.

  1. Telephone

  2. Carrot (imagined)

  3. Marimo moss ball

  4. Traffic model

  5. Tin of fried dace with salted black beans

  6. Study of the interior volume of the Sant’Eligio degli Orefici in Rome

  7. Engraved stainless steel cup (belonging to Hrishikesh Hirway)

  8. 3.5mm auxiliary cord input

  9. Digimon Digivice D3

  10. Glass of water (overfilled but not yet spilled over)

  11. Lily pad

  12. Chess piece (rook)

  13. ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

  14. Fountain pen

  15. Bucket

  16. Succulent arrangement (after 9 months)

  17. Rock (ordinary)

  18. Chocolate chip cookie (with chocolate chips omitted)

  19. Shelly Senbei rice crackers

  20. Ficus Audrey (Ficus benghalensis)

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