Jihwa Lee

In the Buddhist temple (寺刹), there are four elements that make sounds to wake the dawn. These are the large bell (梵鐘), the drum (法鼓), the cloud gong (雲板), and the wooden fish (木魚).

 

The wooden fish is usually shaped with a dragonhead (龍頭魚身) and keeps a cintamani (如意珠) in its mouth to remind the monks to perpetually devote themselves for continuous religious purification similar to a fish, which never closes its eyes. 

 

In my paintings, the wooden fish represents utopia, ultimate happiness and nirvana that we seek everyday but seem difficult to attain. A wooden fish that is free from the mortal world, floats out of reach from gravity with eyes without focus represents the state of nirvana.

 

卍[wàn] continues to be replicated as the background because it was originally found imprinted on the chest of Buddha, representing a lucky omen (吉祥) but has meaning of complicated and unbreakable relations in the mortal world: a relationship that can be disengaged only with death.  On the other hand, the objects that are placed randomly throughout the painting facing different directions represent myself: the one who is attempting to escape burden (煩惱) through repeated zen meditation (參禪) but find myself in vain at the end as one who is suffering by much loneliness. 

 

Painting is a part of my meditation and way of life.  It is true I go through heartache and agony again and again, but at least while I am painting, I feel tranquil, no-mind (無心).