This painting was originally created as a book cover. It depicts the two characters, Miranda and Caliban, from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and their life on a remote island, which is symbolized by the seagulls.
I often paint figures enveloped by nature such as birds. I'm interested in the relationship between the two and how they co-exist with one another on the picture plane. The painting parallels our relationship with the environment as well as its impact on it, particularly on sea life. Gulls are scavengers that keep insects and other prey species population down and are essential in dispersing pollen for vegetation growth. Every species play an important role in maintaining their ecosystem and our interference disrupts this rhythm, whether it's due to our contribution to coastal pollution or habitat destruction. If everyone took a step back and minimized their involvement in these disturbances, we can co-exist together on a more sustainable and worthwhile picture plane.
Tran Nguyen
