My child has a lot of attachments, including a police car, a fire truck, a blanket, and a doll. Among them, Naga is an attachment doll. These attachment dolls are frequently changed, such as a puppy, a rabbit, a teddy bear, and a mouse, etc. I didn’t want to create just one attachment doll for my child because I noticed the frequent changes in preferences. So, I decided to make a series of dolls based on the zodiac signs.

The zodiac sign is something that prospective parents pay attention to even before their baby is born. Depending on the child’s zodiac, parents prepare maternity goods and gifts. For example, 2023 is the Year of the Cat (Year of the Black Rabbit), 2022 is the Year of the Imin (Year of the Black Tiger), 2021 is the Year of the New Year (Year of the White Ox), 2020 is the Year of the Rat (Year of the White Rat), and so on. The concept of the growth album is also determined accordingly. As a writer, I also hope that the child will grow up healthy and happy, so I prepared in advance a swaddle jacket, newborn clothes, and shoes that match the child’s zodiac sign.

In the zodiac attachment doll series, I expressed the 12 zodiac signs, including the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog, and pig, according to their characteristics. For example, the rat holds a flower, the ox holds a farm tool, the rabbit holds the moon, and the dragon breathes fire. I imagined the monkey doing martial arts and so on, trying to capture their unique traits and wisdom.

The glowing aura behind the attachment doll seen in the paintings is inspired by the halo in Buddhism. This halo, also known as the “light belly,” represents the light of Buddha’s mercy. It symbolizes the light that dispels the darkness of the world and reveals the truth. There are two types of mandorla – the head light, which radiates from the head, and the giant body light, which comes from the body. In my work, I expressed it as if brilliance emanates from the entire body of the doll, so that the child who will grow up in the future will always be surrounded by light. It embodies the heartfelt wishes of all parents who desire the best for their children. As a parent, I hope this artwork will provide warmth and comfort to all those dedicated to child-rearing.