The Bull & Whale, 2023
Genuine hematite, malachite and indigo, watercolour on Nepalese rice paper.
9 x 6.89ins (22.7 x 17.5cm) (artwork size)
12.4 x 10.43ins (31.5 x 26.5cm) (framed size)
12.4 x 10.43ins (31.5 x 26.5cm) (framed size)
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In medieval Middle Eastern manuscripts on cosmography, Kuyūthā, pronounced Que-fa (Arabic: كيوثاء,) is the name given to a cosmic bull whose depiction represented land and agriculture. According to these manuscripts,...
In medieval Middle Eastern manuscripts on cosmography, Kuyūthā, pronounced Que-fa (Arabic: كيوثاء,) is the name given to a cosmic bull whose depiction represented land and agriculture. According to these manuscripts, the bull stood on a vast whale that symbolises the sea and its inhabitants. The duo are responsible for the natural phenomena of our world such as the ebbing of the tides, and as they drink the water of the Earth, they counter off rising sea levels. It was believed that as long as Whale & Bull, (Land and Sea) are in balance, we continue to live in harmony on our planet.
Playing with this idea, I created a painting featuring the bull and whale in dialogue. Taking inspiration from classical manuscripts, I used handcrafted Nepalese paper and natural pigments such as hematite and Indigio for this modern interpretation of the story
Playing with this idea, I created a painting featuring the bull and whale in dialogue. Taking inspiration from classical manuscripts, I used handcrafted Nepalese paper and natural pigments such as hematite and Indigio for this modern interpretation of the story