Outside the Dream

This work is centered on the perspective of Suzuki, the maid who appears in Act II of Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly. Although she shares the same space as Butterfly, Suzuki occupies a different position within it. While Butterfly continues to believe in the dream of Pinkerton’s return, Suzuki quietly recognizes reality, sensing the passage of time and the subtle emergence of doubt. The painting does not deny the dream itself, but instead depicts a gaze from its “outside.” The floral ornaments and hairpins drifting through the composition have not yet completely collapsed; however, they no longer exist as fixed symbols of blessing but as structures beginning to loosen. Outside the Dream represents the distance that emerges between the one who believes and the one who sees, marking the moment when the narrative quietly begins to tilt.

My works are primarily created using acrylic paint on canvas or panel. I build the image through multiple layers of color, gradually constructing depth, luminosity, and decorative richness.