Oceanic Manta Ray

Artist Statement

This is my second large-scale mural creation with the theme of “Ocean Manta Ray.” Many manta rays are living in the waters surrounding Bali. Because of this, I want to show their beautiful posture again on the mural.

In this mural, I attempted to convey the ecological balance of coexistence between marine life and the ocean. In the picture, you can see two giant manta rays swimming freely in the sea water between the mountains. I used the technique of the traditional Chinese ink painting generously to make the mural more classical. On the left and right sides of the screen, there are traditional Chinese engravings. On the left is the seal of the artist Chen Yingjie and on the right is the seal of "Sea."

To enhance the beauty of the picture, an artistic mean of combining the modern and traditional techniques was employed to interpret the sense of the history of the ocean. The yellow-colored background makes it look like giant water ink painting on the building. When you stand in front of the work, you can appreciate from different angles the amazing beauty of this living creature in details. By using the sprinkling technique, it is shown that the manta rays produce a large amount of spray during the swimming, meanwhile suggesting (or reflecting) the great force of the ocean.

Manta rays are giants, displaying their elegant posture and powerful body while swimming in the sea Observing them inspires me continually. They are huge and have a unique body structure, and their growth and reproduction is a long time process. During the recent years in Asia, driven by economic profit, more manta rays have been captured and killed unrelentingly and brought to the market, resulting in a sharp decrease in the number of this sea animal. Consequently, the balance of food chain in the marine environment is also seriously disturbed.

It is my hope that I can help to voice our concern about manta rays through my artistic activity and to awaken people through art to re-respecting the ocean, protecting the ocean by stopping excessive fishing of manta rays as well as other living creatures in the ocean.

The Focus

Take Action

Help conserve manta ray populations by:

• Refraining from consuming manta ray
• Participating in sustainable ecotourism to experience the animals in their natural habitat
• Contributing to citizen science and support research focused on better understanding their ecology and conservation strategies.
• Supporting organizations such as Manta Trust.