The Human Fish (Ningyo| Renyu)

Lauren YS is in Melbourne and eager to leavw hwr mark! Another extraordinary piece in a Fitzroy alleyway.

Here’s the work on her own words:

“Fishy things with @zo1nky in Melbourne~
So good to meet other Asian painters with roots in Hawaii. Had a great time talking through the Chinese vs Japanese-American experience, hawaiian bullshit, traveling in Australia and the Asian community here, paintlife whatnots and laneway dreams
#Ningyo (Japanese, 人魚) or #Renyu (Chinese) – the “human fish” or mermaid. Koi fish and crystal wave letters by Zoinks!

Ningyo are often associated with good luck and prosperity, but they can also be depicted as harbingers of misfortune, war, or calamity. Some believe that eating the flesh of a ningyo could grant immortality.

The Chinese word for “fish”, yu, is a homophone for “abundance”, “plenty”, and “affluence” (yu 餘); therefore, fishes are a symbol of wealth. As a Pisces I have always felt strangely connected to fish and the floating world.”