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2012/01/19 22:27
* Kingyo Sukui: It normally means “Goldfish Scooping,” but the artist uses a homonym Chinese letter to create a unique expression, which can be translated as “Goldfish Salvation.”
Goldfish Salvation
One day I said to myself, “Alas, I should quit doing art altogether.”
At the time 5 years had passed since I graduated from an art university. Though I worked hard to achieve my dream of becoming an artist, I was confronted with anxiety about the future and the gap between the ideal and reality. As a result, I lost confidence and suffered from profound despair.
I was exhausted from the mental distress and lay down on my bed. And then, by chance, I noticed a small fish tank beside the bed.
In the fish tank was a Wakin Goldfish, which I brought back from a Kingyo Sukui (Goldfish Scooping) stall at a summer festival seven years ago. Its name was Kim-pin, female.
I didn’t take a good care of her and the water was unclean with the fish droppings. However, she was thriving in the tank and I hadn’t even noticed that she had grown to a length of 20 cm.
I lifted the lid of the tank and looked at her from above.
At the moment, I felt a thrill shiver up my spine.
In the dirty water, her shiny red back was mysterious and extremely beautiful.
“I’m sure she will save me,” I told myself.
I took out some red paint and painted a picture of her figure.
Fun! Fun! It’s so much fun!
A moment later, there was a large shoal of goldfish in front of me.
This was it!
This was the answer that I had been looking for, and I didn’t find it in Europe or America, but I found it in my very own room.
Back then, I didn’t know why I was so attracted to goldfish but I felt as if I had found a ray of light in the darkness of my mind.
I call that day’s event “Kingyo Sukui (Goldfish Salvation)” and I value the memory.
Riusuke Fukahori
金魚救い
ある日、「ああ、もう美術なんてやめてしまおう。」と思った。
自室で寝転がった時、ベッドの横にあった小さな水槽が目にとまった。
そこには七年前夏祭りですくってきた金魚が一匹いた。
名前はキンピン(メス)
たいして可愛がりもせず、粗末に扱ってきたため、水も汚れてフンまみれ、
しかし彼女は生き続け、20cm以上になっていた。
僕は、水槽の蓋を開け、彼女を上から見てみた。
そのとき、僕の背筋がゾクゾクっとした。
汚れた水の中で、赤く光る彼女の背中は、
怪しく、そして最高に美しかった。
「この子がきっと僕を救ってくれる」
そう信じて、赤い絵の具を取り出し、彼女をモデルに筆を走らせた。
楽しい!楽しい!楽しい!
そしてあっという間に金魚の大群が生まれた。(これだ!)
僕の探していた答えが、ヨーロッパでもなく、アメリカでもなく
まさに、この部屋にあった。
僕は、この日の出来事を「金魚救い」と呼んで大切にしている。
深堀 隆介
英訳:山本陽子 (translation : Yoko Yamamoto)
※文中の「怪しく」は「妖しく」でもあるが、このとき私には「妖艶」というより、「奇怪」に見えたためこの「怪」を使用した。
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