Mae chose the word “興” , pronounced “xīng” and meaning “to rise”.
She is both Thai and Chinese and wanted me to write her word using the traditional Chinese script. This word refers to life and how we rise during our lifetime as human beings. Mae is a mother and a grandmother and has an important role in her family, being the eldest.
In 2012 during a trip to Beijing I painted in Chinese for the first time and I just love the balance of each character, or logograph. I feel like each character even in a very simple font is beautiful in itself. This particular one appears to be standing on two feet, which I thinks goes well with its meaning!
Seb Toussaint 