Original: Rowing Over the Water / gouache on paper
Year: 2024
Size: 102cm x 65.5cm
k then, my second cousin told me that without it, the fish would die from lack of oxygen. I was puzzled, so I pointed at it and asked him, "Fish need air? Are you sure? There’s air in the water? Are you sure? And this thing goes splash splash splash to inject air into the water? Are you sure? Fish die when they’re out of water—that’s common sense, cousin!" My cousin, who was only two years older than me, was stumped. He said he’d go ask his dad (my uncle). Suddenly, I felt like I was smarter than my cousin—he just believed whatever adults said without thinking.
Talking about aerators, fish ponds, splashing water, and fish—this is how I thought about it back then: The splashes from the aerator aren’t there to give the fish oxygen; they’re there to make the fish happy! It’s like a playground in the calm fish pond. Turn it on, and you get sound, light, movement, rhythm, and life. The fish perk up, and without it, they’d be bored to death!
The ocean doesn’t have aerators, which isn’t fair. It’s like the fish in the sea don’t have a playground. So, I painted this piece as a tribute to the fish in the ocean. Hahaha. This is one interpretation of the painting, but there are others. I’ll share those once I’ve figured them out.
