Messages in a Bottle

Further to the earlier post on UOB 37th Painting of the Year, 2018, the following is my favourite painting therefrom (yes, i have saved the best for last!):-

Highly Commended
Emerging Artist Category, Singapore
Artist: Chen Junyu, Ryan
Title: Unlabelled
Medium: Oil on canvas 

The text accompanying this painting explains that:-

"To the artist, the idea of identity is a fluid one that is never fixed, just like water. Here, the water takes on whatever shapes the bottles hold, a representation of one's search for identity while growing up, attempting to fit into different moulds and forms as dictated by societal norms. With the labels of the bottles peeled off, the artist is also suggesting that the search for identity is an endless and uncertain one. The bottles are leaning against one another precariously, highlighting the tension and struggle people go through during this search." 

Unlabelled depicts bottles which are everyday objects that I could easily relate to unlike some abstract forms which would leave me clueless. As a still life painting, I would assess its quality by how close it resembles the real objects, which, in this case, I deem it to be excellent at 85%. I am still intrigued by how paints alone could be used to shape the bottles and shed light so sufficiently well on them with accompanying shadows.

Having dwelled on the intended messages by the artist through this painting, I ventured to reflect on the usefulness of bottles. This opens up a floodgate of thoughts, which you may add to the comments segment of this blog post.

Here are some of my thoughts:

The true worth of a bottle lies in its content. A bottle may contain, for examples, life-giving water, a beverage such as coffee or prized liquor such as whiskey. 

When a bottle is empty, it may be recycled as a vase to hold flowers or crushed at a recycling plant.

I think a bottle can also represent human life. Our body is like an empty bottle to contain our spirit and soul (mind, emotion and will). 

While good at taking care of our physical body with the help of toiletries, beauty products, proper nutrition and medical care, we also need to take care of our spiritual and mental health. 

When we neglect the content of our bottle, we may spiral into depression with a dim view of life. If this become chronic, we may find that life is meaningless. This explains the tragedy of people who ended up in sanitorium or took their own life.

Take some time to be alone each day for quiet reflection and prayer. Also, take time to read a self-improvement book and/or the Holy Bible, which I reckon is like a love letter from God on what really matters in life through it all. Loved ones and close friends are there to help us, but we need to be self-reliant to take care of ourselves because over time they may not always be around to be there for us.

Thus, let's keep our bottle filled up everyday just like we need to charge our mobile phones and scooters.

Don't despair if your life is in a shamble. The Good News is that there is a Living Hope.

Click here for CityWorship: Living Hope (Bethel) // Annabel Soh @City Harvest Church.