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I chose a setting of water to symbolize birth as well as me, because I was born Aquarius. The dangling Ackee fruit make the setting Jamaica. The Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica. To read more about the significance of the Ackee, click here. The small purple flowers reinforce the setting as Jamaica, because they are the Jamaican national flower. The flower is called the "Lignum Vitae," which means "Wood of Life." It grows on a short and compact tree which is revered for its medicinal values. I did a little research on Dragons for this painting. I found that African Dragons are "wyverns" which have two legs, two wings and are able to fly. Chinese dragons are called "lóng," have four legs and are able to swim. They are often seen carrying an egg. A favorite meal of the African wyvern is elephant and of the Chinese lóng, Orcas. In this painting, I imagine that the flying wyvern is my great-grandmother Miss Lou, whose ancestors hailed from Africa, and that the swimming lóng is my great-grandfather Chung Fatt who was born in China. They are giving to one another their most prized catch as food for their wedding banquet or as a ritual matrimonial dowry or marriage offering. |
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