Last week, I led a tour of Fiona Fei’s Shui Mo Ink Brush Art for the Nonprofit Commons Group in Second Life. Shui Mo means “ink” in Chinese. The group walked across paintings on scrolls where the ink was brushed under our feet. Zooming in on the pictures along the wall, we observed that they were not flat- but were 3D sculptures with little moving birds and butterflies. We walked through lovely koi fish ponds and floated amidst petals and umbrellas, wandering through a black and white ink world, then entered a black door to see One Million Rising for social justice. The tour culminated in a beautiful scene with a bridge where the group found a photo opp!
This lovely art, built by young artist Fiona Fei, exemplifies the use of virtual worlds for artist creativity in 3D spaces. Fiona says,
As a Chinese American, the Shui Mo series is my way of not only connecting with my ancestry, but it’s also a way for me to celebrate centuries of art and old masters who painted in this beautiful art style. I wanted to take full advantage of Second Life’s virtual environment to provide a new perspective on this traditional art style by adding depth, making what has traditionally always been portrayed as 2D pieces into 3D art. When the viewer looks into the art, they are looking into a 3D space, and depending on the angle they are viewing it from, the art changes.
