Dr. Albert C. Barnes believed that art holds the power to elevate minds and transform lives—a truth I know well, for art has transformed mine.

Since January 2024, I have had the privilege to journey to many islands and seashores, each time I reached the water’s edge, there was this genuine, simple joy, and eager to sit still in front of the sea waiting for the sun to rise. In those moments, I would think, I would pray, and I would paint.

It’s been nearly a year now, and my travels have carried me to Singapore, the Bahamas, Belize, Hong Kong, Sanya, Menorca, and Cyprus. In each place, I found myself beside the sea, I felt safe, and I felt at home. I felt that nothing else matters, and I can just paint. 

But I often wondered—what was I truly seeing? Or perhaps, what was I seeking?

Strangely, I found my answer: I wanted to see the face of God. At times, I caught a glimpse in a painted portrait; other times, in the shifting colours of the sea. To me, they were one and the same, for both made feel that I am coming home. 

It’s like seeing someone you have known since long time ago, someone you will see again, perhaps for eternity.

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(Matti Gao, November 2024, London)