Lessons from the Unseen
I find myself in a struggle with the painting of the WANLI Shipwreck. My heart says no, but my mind holds me to the promise I once gave.
The Wanli was a Portuguese ship sunk by a Dutch vessel in the China Seas. Beneath the wreck lies not only porcelain and history, but also the memory of countless lives lost to greed and ambition. What aches me is not only the cost of lives, but also the cost of friendship.
Ben Ronjen, once my closest brother, the heart behind Kraak Creations, asked me to join this project. I agreed out of love for him, though ambivalence weighed on me. Now he has withdrawn — six calls unanswered. He struggles with his own demons, while his wife drives their venture forward. And here I stand, between memory and obligation.
Yet deeper still is another reason. My daughter, who wants me to keep on as an artist, has sacrificed her hard-earned cash to buy the materials. She has made herself part of this work, more than Ben, more than the project itself. If I fulfill this commitment, it would be for her sake — more than for anyone else.
The unseen whispers: To paint without heart is to paint a lie.
And yet another voice answers: To paint for love is to paint with truth.
Title for the painting: Wanli — In memory of lives lost, and of those who carry her memory into the present.
Dedication: For the lives that ended in silence, and the voices that still tell their story.
#LessonsFromTheUnseen #WanliShipwreck #ArtAndTruth #Friendship #FatherAndDaughter #MemoryAndLoss
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