"Hikari wo Mataete" is one of a group of works based on the theme "Hikari.
When I thought that "Hikari" is hope, and that "hope" might include praying to God, I realized that in Japan long ago I wanted to draw an animal that is an object of worship from the Chinese.
In Japan, turtles are enshrined as a symbol of Chinese belief in Genbu and longevity. The tortoise used as a motif was so indescribable that when he looked away after meeting eyes at the zoo, he couldn't understand why he was looking at her. It looks like a divine image, and it appears to purify everything and ascend to the heavens, and I made this piece based on that image."