The Gift

The Gift: A Journey of Self-Discovery

The Gift is a one-of-a-kind, wordless, Artist's Book in the form of a hexagonal box which uses its three-dimensional format to tell a symbolic story. The textured fish on the cover hint at the underwater world inside. When opened, it shows a night scene of a mermaid giving a gift to a young girl seated on a turtle submerged under water. The semi-circles of the scene, unfold to reveal a compass dial nestled at the base of the box. A manually-movable needle symbolises the search for our personal ‘true north’.

In making The Gift, I explored the idea of layers in both literal and symbolic ways. I looked at how layers can represent themes like:

• Protection and vulnerability

• How we embellish or exaggerate meaning

• What we reveal and conceal about ourselves

Antique, hexagonal, pocket navigational tools containing layered circular dials inspired the structure. In turn, this echoes ideas of layers of knowledge, understanding and orientation.

During a Full Moon, a serendipitous moment brought me the Sabian Symbol: "A small girl bends over a pond trying to catch a fish.”

This metaphor for an innocent mind seeking elusive knowledge captured the book's essence and became the heart of the story.

A shift towards sustainable materials

I challenged myself to make The Gift using more eco-friendly materials, instead of my usual non-biodegradable Acrylics. Experimenting to make the textured fish pattern without my usual PVA glue technique pushed me creatively. The result is that over half the materials I used in the book are environmentally-friendly.

Understanding the theme of The Gift

An illuminating dream revealed the theme of the work: The mermaid's gift symbolises a chance to reconnect with our truest self.

Yet, in an unexpected twist, the artwork itself brought to light a deeper truth: The child, oblivious to the gift, fixates on unattainable desires beneath the surface. This highlights how we can overlook our own gifts while yearning for something out of reach.

The Gift represents my personal journey of self-discovery through successive layers of understanding. But just as the unfolding pages reveal the book's hidden narrative, I hope its layered symbolism helps others reflect on their own gifts.

The manual compass needle is a final reminder that we always have the power to reorient ourselves towards our true values.