Ducks swim lightly across the lake’s surface, and beneath the gentle ripples, faint silhouettes of flies, water plants, and human figures emerge. These images arose partly during my joyful moments, and partly during times of inner turmoil. I usually seek narrative depth in my painting subjects—so how should I confront the blurred photograph of myself from eight years ago? The figure on the right is my self-portrait of that time.

In the image, I depicted a fly on water. The fly represents a more liberated experience of life. In modern society, people escape in various ways from systems and constraints that make them feel confined and uneasy. Yet the fly can remain undisturbed in repulsive environments, unbothered by odors or the presence of others. It is precisely this ability to move through aversion that has captured my interest.

Therefore, properly confronting those things that one constantly desires yet fears is a reminder to myself.