The figures in my oil paintings have their facial expressions hidden, as if keep-ing a secret or like they are asleep. Their huge bodies look heavy enough to make a lot of noise when moving around, but, paradoxically, they also seem to float as in dreams or recollections, implying the suspension of time in memory.

Tenderness, to quote Roland Barthes, is an “infinite…metonymy” for love. The gentle gestures of the figures in my works are a metonym of their desire to be loved by others. Even in a small space, they keep a careful distance from each other, which expresses a waiting for affection so as not to seize it right away. Even if their love needs more time to be noticed, it is always there. Their symbiotic relationship is based on the Buddhist belief of Dependent Arising, which offers proof of one’s existence through the interaction with others and surrounding objects. Therefore, the figures are here, in this place, to find and grasp their identity and existence comfortably by staying together.