“Holding Space For You (So We Grow Together)”

“Holding Space For You (So We Grow Together)”, encaustic/ mixed media, 48”x60”, 2023 December. This is a sequel to Gustav Klimt’s Tree of Life, on which a couple has built their nest. They embrace their separateness (the small figures inside the big hearts emphasize the hardship of controlling one’s own emotions), and encourage each other to explore their individual paths. In secure attachment, the nest is protected (covered by wings) to prevent the raven (a symbol of death in many cultures) from jumping in and destroy the relationship. The multi-panel setting further highlights that there’s no need for tight closeness for a picture to be complete and coherent. As Esther Perel said, long-term connection requires individuality, and a bridge that two people can cross to unite for a brief moment, then to withdraw and continue living their own life within their own heart. The bridge is the DNA ladder, the ultimate symbol of life and a reminder that we’re all biological beings (the sequence is from the oxytocin receptor, exon1 binding site). The botanicals symbolize growth and aspiration towards the Sun – holding space for each other allows us to bloom into intimate moments and create new lives (a yet unborn new child is being held by the hands of fate –an inspiration from Robert Sapolsky’s book, Determined, denying the existence of free will). Life is chaotic, colorful, and overgrown - there is no obvious focal point, instead unsettling visual motion dominates this composition (influence by Jackson Pollock).