The Shadow of Island

Materials: Seaside Waste of Nylon Ropes, Cement Bricks and Plastic, and Steel Rebars

The artist has applied a significant number of waste materials he collected while walking on the edge of the Pacific Ocean over the years, including fishing lines and nylon ropes entangled in the reef rocks, and steel rebars found in ground surface renovation at the Sugar Factory. Twisted steel poles were shaped like human figures and island. An island is just like an ocean museum, collecting all the things we cast away, showing remains of life. The eight pieces of human figure sculptures were produced with the villagers’ extensive knowledge of fishing nets. Tireless untangling, and elaborately wrapping into vibrant colors seen in the traditional attires for ilisin, standing on top of waste cement bricks as our reflection, indicating the site of our former dwelling. Rahic was born at the Pacific coast. He turned colorful “lines” metaphorically into “water,” and cleverly echoing the versatility and adaptability of water from ocean current, steam, rainfall, to rivers, water flows into countless lives, circling within the environment, running through our bodies, and showing the cyclical symbiotic relationship among human, land, and ocean.