Although my mother as an individual seems to have been totally absorbed by the archetypal Mother, who represents the source of life, it was in fact a fragmentary aspect of my mom that led me to such a view: my admiration for an unbreakable spirit forged on the rock of her faith in God. It was an attempt to capture this Faith that led me to the archetypal Matter, the rock of existence proper. My mom is not a religious fundamentalist in the usual sense of the word; she does not insist on doctrine or even ritual. There is something very Zen about her peculiar form of spirituality, which is entirely down to earth, not seeking a world beyond the present state. It was perhaps this association with zen spirituality that led me to picture my mom in an almost oriental dress, also knowing full-well that China means “Land of Rivers,” which even tempted me to name this painting “Mother China.”