When I started my lotus pond series, my daughter was a toddler. I would often spend time with her at the playground. She didn’t seem to ever tire of the seesaw, slide and swing, I was happy to oblige with a nudge and a lift to help her get onto them. These visits got me thinking: What is the lotus pond like in the eyes of frogs, fishes and dragonflies? Do they also have playgrounds filled with fun and memories? Imagining their world from their perspective, I found that I could interpret the lotus pond, which is a classic theme in Chinese ink painting, anew.

As I continue to pursue a simpler, more abstract aesthetic in my work, the lotus has become geometric. I also use a variety of techniques and approaches: ink washes to yield different blues; colour splashes to form lotus flowers and the moon’s reflection; and expressive brushstrokes to capture the possibilities and serendipities of ink. Water and sky segue into each other, and the little critters seem to have more room and freedom to play.