This piece was inspired by the beautiful way money transactions occur in Japan, where money is always exchanged via a small tray of some kind, in lieu of physically handing it to a person.

The koi fish scales on the background are a symbol for desired wealth, while the wooden tray is symbolic of one’s humility. The “unobtanium” status on the card is reflective of humans’ endless appetite to outdo one another via insurmountable amounts of debt.

20″ x 20″ | pigment ink + mixed media on archival bamboo paper + AR | 03/03