I painted this picture to bring publicity to my performance art piece titled "Picture Book without Blue".
When I painted this, I was in the process of producing my performing art and had not yet considered the details, though, at that time, I had already decided to make its theme "transparency". I had also decided that I would compose the storyline based on "The Blue Bird" by Maurice Maeterlinck and incorporate motifs, characters and the atmosphere of "A Picture Book without Pictures" by Hans Christian Andersen. I had difficulty in visualizing the atmosphere of my unfinished performance art. However, by fully employing my imagination, I managed to paint this picture. Actually, there is no scene like this picture in the completed performance art piece. I wrote the scenario, designed the stage, and directed the performance, but I did not try to reproduce the scene in the picture on the stage because I thought it was unnecessary. The painting, as a symbolic image, played the role of a guide for all the parties concerned when we produced the performance art together. Through the painting, everyone understood my style, which is to put great emphasis on creating picturesque scenes on the stage. The picture successfully attracted people's attention to the performing art. Further, it helped the audience to prepare to receive the worldview expressed in the performance, to understand the meaning of the performance and to remember it for a long time. In other words, it played the role of a device that deeply engaged the audience and facilitated their enjoyment of the performance art.
I don't consider this picture to be secondary or inferior to the performance art and always behind it. Indeed, after a series of public performances, I clearly realized that this picture became an independent artwork that expresses "Picture Book without Blue" in its own way, holding the story of my performing art behind the canvas.
