This painting uses the same composition as my 2021 drawing "Dear Goldfish, Dear Goldfish". In that drawing, I imagined a person calling out to their own reflection on the surface of the water, feeling a sense of tenderness and connection. Even back then, I had the feeling that I wanted to eventually turn the drawing into a painting.

Now that I’ve finally painted it, it feels like the figure is both being pulled into the water and resisting it at the same time — as if there’s a tension or push and pull between the two. It turned into a strange, ambiguous image.

In the background, I included plants like hotokenoza (henbit), dandelion, chickweed, shepherd’s purse, and veronica persica.
I’ve always loved these kinds of weeds — the ones I used to pick in the park as a child — so I chose my favorites and packed them in. It’s like a kind of heaven to me.

The little white tadpole-like creature is based on a dragon baby — specifically, the olm (proteus).