Paul Cupido, Mukayu, 2020

“An empty room will be filled with light by its emptiness”. This is how the concept of “Mukayu” is defined by the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi. The recent, poetic and very intimate photographic work of Paul Cupido, made in Japan, is inspired by this concept of “Mukayu”, which also refers to “non-existence”, to “things as they are”. Mukayu  fits into the larger framework of the philosophical concept of “Mu”, a source of inspiration for Paul Cupido since his first artist’s book  Searching for Mu . Mu could be translated as “not to have” or “to let go”. Through his images, Paul Cupido explores the themes of emptiness, metamorphosis, transitory, ephemeral, in connection with our emotional experiences. His images, real visual poems, sometimes melancholy and surrealist, question our relationship to reality and our capacity to dream. His desire to understand and embrace nature permeates his work, which is nourished by his native island, Terschelling, and the bond between its inhabitants and nature. The double-booklet system allows a multitude of image associations, printed on 4 types of paper. Mukayu  is a work that offers an emotional experience, like the organic works of the artist, which feel like a meditation.