"Salty Namazu" (鲶鱼大神)
// BLURB //
Namazu is no ordinary fish. A colossal catfish that wriggles beneath the earth, its restless movements are said to cause earthquakes, shaking the very foundations of the world above. You can imagine the panic: a deep rumble, the earth quaking beneath your feet, and the sky turning uncertain. But what’s truly unsettling about Namazu isn’t just the destruction—it’s the uncertainty. No one knows when the next tremor will come, or what will happen when it finally breaks free from its subterranean prison.
Namazu is no ordinary fish. A colossal catfish that wriggles beneath the earth, its restless movements are said to cause earthquakes, shaking the very foundations of the world above. You can imagine the panic: a deep rumble, the earth quaking beneath your feet, and the sky turning uncertain. But what’s truly unsettling about Namazu isn’t just the destruction—it’s the uncertainty. No one knows when the next tremor will come, or what will happen when it finally breaks free from its subterranean prison.
In many ways, Namazu reflects the power of 风起云涌—“winds rise, clouds billow.” This ancient chengyu reminds us that true change is often preceded by tumultuous forces. The quiet stirrings beneath the surface—the subtle shifts we can’t always see—are the harbingers of a larger transformation, just as the winds stir the clouds before a storm. It’s easy to fear the chaos of change, but in those moments of unrest, we find the seed of something profound. Life’s tremors, like Namazu’s thrashing, force us to confront the depths of uncertainty, but they also carve the path to renewal.
So, perhaps instead of resisting the storm, we should embrace it. Just as the winds must rise for the clouds to move, the quakes beneath us may be the first stirrings of a new beginning. After all, the earth will settle again, and so will we.
EDITION, MEDIA, SIZE & WEIGHT
Unique Edition, Shanghai 2025
Chinese ink and oil painting on canvas, teakwood frame
156(W)×206(H)×7(D) cm // 20 kg
CRATE SIZE & WEIGHT
164(W)×214(H)×17(D) cm // 69 kg
EXPOSURE
“Yaoguai” at island6 Shanghai
CREDITS
Shengqiu Li 李生秋 (painting) • Thomas Charvériat (art direction) • Yeung Sin Ching 杨倩菁 (production supervisor) • Tiara Alvarado-Leon (blurb)
Unique Edition, Shanghai 2025
Chinese ink and oil painting on canvas, teakwood frame
156(W)×206(H)×7(D) cm // 20 kg
CRATE SIZE & WEIGHT
164(W)×214(H)×17(D) cm // 69 kg
EXPOSURE
“Yaoguai” at island6 Shanghai
CREDITS
Shengqiu Li 李生秋 (painting) • Thomas Charvériat (art direction) • Yeung Sin Ching 杨倩菁 (production supervisor) • Tiara Alvarado-Leon (blurb)
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