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Riverine Awareness Project
The Riverine Awareness Project is a series of four watercolor pieces that bridge my personal experiences with the riverine, using fish symbolism and natural phenomena as metaphors. By melding the natural world with the personal, imbuing the seemingly trivial, non-sentient with emotion, I hope to generate empathy and a more "sentimental connection" between the audience and the riverine world.
2021-22 | Personal
Next Project
Her Purchase
Amongst the blissful vibrancy of convenience stores, there’s a truth we choose to ignore - every one of our purchases contributes to marine debris.
This piece illustrates our ignorance toward the ocean's frustration, as the contrast between the girl’s tranquil expression and the exasperation of the fish emphasizes her oblivious attitude. To make things worse, the girl has no clue that she is purchasing “litter scraps” and that the money in her hands is joss money for the dead.
The omniscient viewpoint makes it seem as though we're the cashier, leaving the question of: Should we stop her? Can we even stop her?
After all, we are a cashier, and it is our job to complete her purchase.
Castles in the Air
This piece portrays “the glass ceiling,” inspired by my mother’s struggle to work her way up the social ladder.
The woman in the foreground is working, typing seamlessly on her computer as morning bleeds into noon, but we don’t really see her - she’s a mere outline. Behind her is a balcony of guppy fish, jarring in their lusciousness and gentle vibrancy, a complete contrast to the darkness of the foreground. Referencing the idiom “castles in the air,” the floating fish symbolize the woman’s unattainable dreams. And the impossibility of achieving these “fish in the air” is further emphasized by the “glass” doors that separate the balcony from the interior.
No matter how hard the woman works, she’ll be a shadow, and her dreams will be mere “fish in the air,” bound away by invisible glass doors.
Wandering
This self-portrait portrays the conflict between societal expectations and my self-identity.
I am on the metro train, taking a form of transportation that has a predetermined and unmaneuverable path. With a one-point perspective, the train seems to be moving forward, in contrast to the fish that are swimming backward. The natural elements - roaming fish, flooding water, outside greenery - are symbolic of my wild, spontaneous, and “natural” self, while the train (along with the poster on the wall) and its “coded” path are symbolic of society’s norms.
Though I am enclosed in a train car, I am slowly unraveling my own path as I unleash the fish, and from there, things start becoming organic: the straight lines of the train car juxtaposing the wavering flow of the wandering fish and the water ripples that trail below them.
And Home is Downstream
As someone who’s moved seven times, I’ve never really understood the idea of “home.” In the sixth grade, I transferred to Longan Elementary School - and for the first time in years, I felt as if I belonged somewhere. And thus, leaving Longan was an utter pain.
The trout in this piece are memories, nostalgia, and all the things associated with Longan; as like trout are known for being anadromous, ascending upstream to their “birthplace” to lay eggs, my mind often wanders back to Longan. The girl takes the trout for a walk, letting them roam but clutching tight onto their leashes, afraid of letting them go. But she’s also waiting for the bus - she’s leaving Longan Station.
This piece illustrates the apprehension associated with moving on or “swimming downstream.” The vibrant colors accentuate the many emotions I felt along this journey - anticipation, fear, wonder.
It’s dark outside; Where am I going? I should be returning home, but where exactly is home now?