“To be reborn, one must first be cast into the land of death; To endure, one must first be placed in a place of ruin.” | ???????????????

This title is a phrase from Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ - signifying that only when one is pushed to the brink—trapped in a hopeless situation—can they discover the will to fight, survive, and ultimately be reborn. This painting is an expression of my journey through hopelessness and rebirth. In the last few months, I found myself caught in the midst of darkness and a relentless sandstorm, like a plastic bag with no anchor. There was nothing left to lose. Feeling of loss and indifference has become my comfort zone.

However, a simple visit to the Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan was an enlightenment. The slow ascent of the cable car, cherry blossoms unraveling beneath me like whispered songs of spring. The laughter of old souls, woven with time, carrying warmth like forgotten embers. During that delicate stillness, something long buried stirred, a quiet flame rekindled.

This painting is an attempt to translate that mixed emotions, collaging fragments of memories of those moments into a visual language of colours and compositions. The world I seek to depict is obscure, yet undeniably beautiful—a delicate balance between despair and my newfound hope.
Technically, the piece was created on a readymade linen canvas, using oil paint and oil sticks. I began with a black underpainting, applying the scumbling technique to blend shades of yellow and green, creating a soft, muted background. The subject emerged through free-flowing brushstrokes, evolving as I rotated the canvas between orientations. The process was unplanned yet instinctive—much like my own journey, where thought and emotion merged, guiding me toward rebirth.