Year: 2024
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 200 x 300 cm (78 3/4 x 118 1/8 in.)
Acquired from ROH Projects, 2024
In Indonesia, which consists of thousands of islands, the fragmented land is loosely connected by the sea rather than surrounded by it. Although the sea offers a network for transportation, it remains a treacherous obstacle and unknown territory for those who seek to cross it. Since time immemorial, the sea has stirred the imaginations of people in both the East and West, a source of myth and folklore that endure til this day. This work is based on the tale of a mermaid that was said to have been captured during the Dutch East India Company era in Indonesia. Although the authenticity of this mermaid, also referred to in literature as the mermaid of Amboina, is unknown, it seems to be a significant inspiration for Imazu, who is based in Indonesia. The artist is known for creating collage-like paintings that combine various images onto the canvas, but the meanings and ideas associated with them also play a significant role. In this work, a motif of the blue sea is explored in a range of ways over the base of a drawing resembling an old map. The image of the map with the geographical name “BANDA” evokes Indonesia’s horrific history. The skeletal fingers, reminiscent of the Grim Reaper, reach into the painting to touch an animal skull suggesting the hand of a ruler bringing fear to the land. The white silhouette floating in the middle of the canvas’ blue-green center is the mermaid, with her long, luminous tail fin. The work is painted as a microcosm of contemporary society, a complex amalgam of history and legend from the past. Another artwork “Drowsiness” (2022), also in the Ueshima Collection, is based on the same mermaid legend and is worth appreciating alongside this piece.
