I created this artwork to symbolise peace, strength, and resilience.

Koi fish are known universally as a symbol of strength, perseverance, love, bravery and dedication. Similarly the Japanese chrysanthemum tattoo has the meaning of persistence and resoluteness, while water lilies symbolise pleasure and peace.

My inspiration for the woman in this piece is Ophelia.
As a child I often visited Tate Britain in London. One of the most striking and memorable paintings in the collection was John Everett Millais depiction of Ophelia. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia she loses her mind and drowns, but in the painting she looks so beautiful and at peace - as though she’s giving herself up to a higher power. I wonder if that’s what truly being at peace is?

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.” Jimi Hendrix

This is a 1/1 original illustration by me, Kate Philipson.

JPEG 7016 x 4961 px