Tea Beyond Borders
- Samantha Santos
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
Pierre Sernet’s “One” and the Art of Human Connection
In a world growing increasingly fragmented by culture, geography, and ideology, French artist Pierre Sernet invites us to sit down, share tea, and remember our common humanity. His conceptual photography series “One,” also referred to as “Guerrilla Tea,” offers a quiet but powerful challenge to the way we view borders—both physical and philosophical.
At first glance, the images from the series might evoke curiosity or confusion: a delicate Japanese tea setup nestled in the sands of a desert, in the shadow of a cliff, on a city rooftop, or on the Great Wall of China. Two or three people sit within the frame of a simple cube—an open, stylized tea room made of thin wooden rods—engaged in a traditional tea ceremony. The participants are strangers. The environments are unpredictable. The aesthetic is minimalist, yet the message is expansive.
The Cube as a Portal
Sernet’s use of the cube—a nod to the traditional Japanese Tea Room—is brilliant in its simplicity. Stripped of walls and reduced to a bare geometric frame, the tea room becomes something more symbolic than functional. It is a placeholder for meaning, an empty vessel waiting to be filled with the cultural, spiritual, or philosophical interpretations of those who step inside.
Placed in “out-of-context” environments the cube becomes a conceptual space where contrast thrives. The act of performing a refined, meditative ritual in wild, unfamiliar terrain forces us to pause and reflect: what does it mean to belong? What does it mean to connect?
Rather than constructing a literal space of comfort, Sernet constructs a space of potential—an invitation for transformation.
Tea as the Great Equalizer
What ties it all together is the ritual of tea. The act of sharing tea is one of the most ancient, humble, and profound gestures in human history. From Chinese dynasties and Japanese chanoyu to Moroccan mint tea or English afternoon rituals, tea transcends borders and belief systems. It is a universal language, a sacred pause in the day that allows room for presence, conversation, and reflection.
In “One,” this gesture becomes even more meaningful. Sernet’s guests come from vastly different cultural worlds and backgrounds. Guest brought together in silence to share this ceremonial experience, without performance or pretense. No stage. No script. Just people and tea.
The result is stunning: a powerful visual and emotional juxtaposition. A Japanese tea master might serve tea to a Peruvian woman in traditional dress, seated on a floating island of reeds. An artist from Paris might sit opposite a Buddhist monk in a rocky valley. Each pairing is unexpected. Each interaction—genuine.
A Study in Contrasts
Sernet plays with contrast not only through geography and identity, but through the emotional terrain of the viewer. We are invited to project our own interpretations onto the cube. Are the guests opposites, or are they kindred spirits? Is this an interruption of space or a moment of unity?
By placing the sacred ritual of tea into these unfamiliar landscapes, the artist invites us to see both the ceremony and the setting with new eyes. Suddenly, the desert becomes a temple. The roadside becomes a sacred hall. The cube becomes a mirror for our own assumptions.
More importantly, it becomes a bridge.
The Universal in the Specific
At its core, “One” isn’t about tea, photography, or even art—it’s about values. Shared values. The kind that exist beyond language or doctrine: respect, presence, kindness, curiosity.
Sernet’s work reminds us that even in a world divided by difference, we have the tools to co-create meaning. That when we sit down with openness and intention, we realize we’re not as different as we think.
Tea, in this way, is simply the catalyst. The real art happens in the exchange—the wordless communion that takes place between two people who might never have met otherwise, but who leave forever changed.
Lessons from the Cube
There’s something revolutionary about the stillness in these images. In a world that celebrates speed and spectacle, “One” is unapologetically slow. Unapologetically quiet. It doesn't scream for attention. Instead, it beckons you to lean in, take a breath, and reconsider what truly connects us.
As a brand rooted in the sacred art of tea, we at Le Lotus Bleu find deep resonance in Sernet’s vision. Tea, to us, is more than a drink—it is a medium. A vessel. A key to memory, healing, and transformation.
“One” reaffirms what we’ve always known: that tea is a universal gesture of peace. That the most powerful connections often happen in silence. And that sometimes, all it takes to understand one another—is to sit down and share a cup of tea.
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