Let Them Eat Fish 2021

Daria Theodora's surreal watercolor, “Let Them Eat Fish,” presents a dreamscape rich with curious symbols. The fish here, adorned with cherubic figures, recalls the ancient Christian symbol of Ichthys, a symbol of abundance and spiritual nourishment. Notice how the fish is transformed. It becomes a vessel, a carrier of new life, yet also retains an echo of its primal, pagan origins as a symbol of fertility and the life-giving forces of nature. This is much like the serpent, from its ancient role as a symbol of healing and wisdom, to its later association with temptation and chaos. The artist taps into our collective memory, stirring subconscious associations. The seemingly innocent image of children, fish, and flora evoke the complex interplay between life and death, innocence and experience, playing out through the ages. These symbolic mutations become vessels through which our deepest cultural anxieties and aspirations are expressed and negotiated.