Forgotten Dreams

The first piece that I ever did for my Visual Arts IB coursework. I remember I did not have the slightest idea on what to do because I was so overwhelmed by the class, but Japanese artist Naohisa Inoue was a great inspiration to me at that time and I wanted to make a piece inspired by his works.

For those of you who don't know, Naohisa Inoue is the brains behind Iblard, a fantastical utopia he constantly paints which whisks the audience away to a land where forgotten fragments of nostalgic beauty is brought to life by one's imagination. Acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki was so impressed by Inoue's work that he requested Inoue to create the background art for the 1995 film "Whisper of the Heart". Many years later Inoue's Iblard universe would also be featured in the Ghibli production "Iblard Jikan" and the short Ghibli museum film "Hoshi wo Katta Hi" (The Day I Harvested a Star).

The main purpose of this painting is to illustrate how we tend to forget the simplest forms of beauty around us when we are so caught up with our hectic lives. Everyday life becomes a mundane routine when we dread doing things we have to do and fail to appreciate the little wonders life has to offer us. But when we see things from a child's perspective where everything in the world is so fascinating and magical, that's when we are able to better appreciate the wonders of life with unclouded eyes. The world around us becomes a little bit more colorful, and life becomes a little bit more interesting, only if we dare to open our eyes and dream.

When I created this I was starting out school in a different place that was so foreign and overwhelming to me. I thought I would be consumed by the paralyzing forces around me, but Inoue's art was a great comfort to me at that time and he taught me that once I open my eyes and see things around me with a different light, suddenly everything becomes bearable and beautiful. I guess that's why I can relate to Iblard so much and why I also strive to find my very own Iblard through my art.

Did this with watercolors and poster paint. Thanks a lot for viewing!