Be Like Water | 2025

Be Like Water takes its meaning from Chapter 8 of the Tao Te Ching. Water may be gentle and flowing, yet it can carve through stone and create hollows; it adapts to any shape, yet it always maintains its essence of movement. Its virtue lies in nourishing everything while never competing or seeking credit.

The painting reveals fine details beneath rough strokes; at first glance, it looks like a flamboyant explosion, but a closer look shows delicate, flowing lines intertwined with the natural textures of the body. Water trickles down the mountainsides, turning into rivers, then evaporates into mist and clouds, and ultimately returns to the ocean—symbolizing the endless cycle of interaction and mutual support between Heaven and Earth.

The flow of water also symbolizes the unity of all living things. Every drop of water is like an ocean; every patch of clouds and mist is like an ocean; even the rushing streams between the mountains are oceans in their own right. This portrayal invites viewers to feel the gentle strength and power of life as it moves with the flow of water, highlighting the silent wisdom inherent in it.