There are scriptures on the sea2

Artwork Interpretation

“Journey Through the Sea” uses unique visual language to outline a fantastical scene of the ocean and flame merging. The dark “rock mass” is the visual anchor, like an ancient mark left by the ocean. Flame bursts from within, as if breaking free to converse with the sea and sky. The sea and sky in the background, with soft colors, are silent witnesses to this “break - free”.

In composition, the rock mass and flame occupy the center, like staging a life rhapsody. The upward flame lines break the sea’s horizontal extension, creating a dynamic - static confrontation — the ocean’s calm is “static”, the flame’s leap is “dynamic”. They pull strong visual tension and reach a wonderful balance through color interweaving.

Color acts as an emotion catalyst: The flame’s yellow and red are like boiling passion, the rock mass’s gray and black are like accumulated years, and the ocean’s orange and sky’s blue are like a gentle embrace. The collision and blending of warm and cool tones generate a fiery yet tranquil atmosphere, just as life seeks an exit between struggle and comfort.

The painting style wanders between expressionism and surrealism. With bold brushstrokes and rich colors, it amplifies the perception of natural forces. The flame’s texture is like the earth’s veins, and the rock mass’s folds are time’s marks, weaving a “spiritual fable” of the ocean and flame.

Emotions hide in details: The flame’s upward reach is exploring the unknown, and the rock mass’s heaviness is the precipitation of years, interweaving to convey optimism — even in the ocean’s depth, life can burst like a flame, finding light between constraint and break - free.

Comparable to Ernst’s surreal narration, “Journey Through the Sea” is less obscure and more straightforward about life. Injecting Van Gogh’s color heat, it decodes nature, showing that the ocean’s embrace and the flame’s heat are both life’s footnotes. “Journey Through the Sea” is a hymn of life growing in contradictions and seeking light in confrontation.

Why does the painting evoke the image of scriptures turning into flames?

At the center, gold and crimson hues resemble texts dissolving into fire, radiating a spiritual glow that ascends into the sky. The fiery strokes echo the act of writing itself, conveying the sense of faith and language transcending through flames.

What is unique about the texture of the ashes?

The interplay of deep gray and bluish black creates stratified layers of sediment, like fragments of burned scriptures. On closer inspection, the ashes are not inert—subtle warmth and lingering color suggest that the embers of spirit still shimmer within the residue.

What spiritual meaning is conveyed by the contrast between fire and ashes?

The blazing fire symbolizes destruction and purification, while the ashes embody memory and traces. Together they generate spiritual tension, recalling religious rituals of burning incense or sacred texts—implying that language, in disappearing, achieves another kind of eternity.

How is the work valued in the context of religious art collections?

Rather than literally depicting scripture, the painting visualizes the transformation of sacred writing through fire and ash. This lends it both ritual intensity and contemporary conceptual value, making it particularly suitable for collections that explore the intersection of faith and art.

Why is it suitable for cultural institutions or spaces with spiritual themes?

Because the imagery embodies the metaphor of “scripture dissolving into ashes”, it functions as both visual artwork and symbolic meditation. In museums or thematic exhibitions such as “Memory and Disappearance” or “The Symbolism of Fire”, the piece can spark deep reflection and resonance among viewers.

What should I pay attention to when buying an artwork or its derivatives?

A: Click here to view ARTPHILOSO's Guide for Collectors.