ART

This masterpiece is titled “The Threshold of Wonder” by the young artist Alyssa Yuan Tsz Kiu participating in the students’ competition at the “Art Central ” happening this week in Hong Kong. I have voted that day and I will continue to vote for all that threshold of wonder that we hold inside ourselves. Keeping the flame, the enthusiasm, the hope altogether. Thank you Alyssa. You reminded me of a my own childhood ever fascinated by the world of books and parallel universes that could just stir my imagination and maintain a steady level of hope in a bigger humanity. Your work of art reconnected me once more with my own room which I was so eager to fill with books even in a period when they were rare.

These couple of months at the beginning of each year in our city are filled with shows, theatre, opera, dance performances, improv, art shows and a pretty much highly anticipated time when the fever of joining even a few of these performances keeps one effeverscently in wonder if I may dare to argue.

Let me share here my own bubbling emotions, same but different, every single time I am landing in the middle of all that mystical and abundant creativity.

A - Awakening

The first question I would have to face if I own myself responsible and true to my aspirations, would be: “Where have I been so far?”

It is almost a scene from the “Snow White” story when the princess comes back to life. (No prince required in ART story I am unfolding here).

ART is this very powerful jolt that makes me thrive inside, that awakens my antennas, that make my eyes fixating and absorb all colours in, perhaps at times might make me even choke a bit, get surprised , engage in all sounds of wonder, fun, might disturb you too, it is a balance between an awe moment or an ouch moment. Really loving it,I say. I cannot take my eyes off ,I say. Such a beautiful story,I say. Thanks for meeting you dear artist, I say. Very sorry, I do not speak Japanese, but nice meeting you too, I say.

The awakening occurs inside of me by simply feeling that all it is so near, so accessible, that there is a world on these very islands where I abode, full of people rushing to catch a ferry to a show just like me. There are foyers full of people holding tickets and dressed I would say pretty nicely too, eager and burning with enthusiasm for the show to come. There are plenty of people expressing out loud their emotions when the first drum of the show kicks in and the stage unveils the performers. It is not me anymore, deep in my world of books and imagination, it is a sea of us, at the threshold of wonder, beautifully reminded by Alyssa in her work too.

Panting by Yu Mi Seon, “My Garden” - Silver leaf, colored metal leaf & stone powder on Korean paper

The agent representing Yu Mi Seon at the Art Central took her time to explain in beautiful details the great work and artistry going on underneath a seemingly sketch like masterpiece. The vase she said, as it would also a medium used in other paintings, represents the “holder”, the objects that holds everything together, and that also means it represents the very human being holding all things together. The stunning cobalt blue reached here was the very first thing that captured my eye, but also the simple forms that are far from simple to achieve. The lady introducing the artist took her time to really mention how many layers of colour and processes go into this. I regret now that I did not record her presentation. My story is not even near to how magically she has portrayed the work of Yu Mi Seon. Gratitude to both. Gratitude to my new vision as seeing ourselves as a vase holding so much beauty and nourishing a garden within ourselves.

R - Reborn

Anytime I laugh, anytime I am surprised by someone’s twist of imagination and creative play, I feel reborn. I land right away in this large large space of eternal possibilities. The matrix of possible outcomes, combinations, is simply endless for me.

Here we are, finding ourselves in front of a new wave of imagining coffee? Beverages? Floating? Dreaming? And why not?

Let us get surprised by the beauty of naive art that I have been eternally drawn to.

Kunihiko Nohara, Matcha Eternal Summer - 2024

My images are not great and I do send my apologies to the artist hereby. I could never focus on photography, as I immerse first in that emotion of any work of art. I have kept looking, and smiling and laughing quite happily at times. This is exactly how I would see myself now enjoying a matcha.Floating. Sunglasses on. Elevated. Green clouds mood on. Arigato gozaimasu, Kunihiko-san. Thank you so much for lifting my spirits right away.

Art in any form, either actively participating and creating or simply bearing witness, has this potent frequency of reopening a space in myself that I sometimes do not even know it has existed. There is a form of rebirth that I get to witness in awe every single time. The borders collapse. The cultural boundaries collapse, whatever I always knew to love before, might be left behind or it might be renewed. Yet, this very sense of wonder and engagement makes is restart anew. A new aspect is reborn .A new facet. A new perspective. A new way of smiling. A new day. A new powerful moment. A new way or reconnecting dots, know objects, habits, all is reborn for me and for others in hope. I might not be alone at all in this.

T - Transformation

A way to be eternally in awe with the present moment would be to welcome the gift of transformation. That is my story. A story of increasing awareness into the present weight of transformation. And the reason why I have chosen to offer some weight to this process is because once I have started noticing, there is no return point. You can trace back, you can anchor yourself into it, you become the journey more and more and the radiant being who still flourishes. At times there are constrictions, the flowers might dry and fall, the colours might change, the soil needs maintenance and care and nutrients, the soil needs care and affection too. So what do you do with that beautiful flower that burst to bloom again season by season? You might talk to her, you whisper and you say thank you” You are transforming. We are transforming. We are our own magicians”.

“The Cycle of Life”, by Lee Yim Fong (ink and colour on paper)

(I should also figure out at some point why I cannot use the caption function anymore once I add my third photo. Work in progress.)

And here is a quote from the artist herself:

At the beginning of the creation process,I depicted on of the flowers with darker colours to express my profound exploration of life.I combined natural elements with objects to showcase a sense of harmony and joy. Flowers and landscapes represent eternity, while roots symbolise the foundation and interconnectedness of life. The metallic colours in the background represent modern industrial and technological themes , contrasting with the natural beauty of the flowers. The delicate stamens highlight the intricate beauty of the flowers .The addition of a wooden seal further emphasises the balance between softness and strength. Together, these elements reflect my insights into nature, technology, and the essence of life itself.” - Lee Yim Fong

Did we just fell in awe together by the empowering magic of this Awakening Reborn Transformation ,aka ART?

Say “Yes”. Say “Arigato”. Say “I am in awe”.

One more poem_prose for the road. It is called “Wings, from the “THE WHITE BOOK” by Han Kang.

Thank you for being with me on this transformative journey.