091

There are several versions of To Catch A Bird, differentiated by numbers and the year painted. The theme forms part of the artist’s childhood memories of playing in the padi fields but in this painting the figure is set in tropical waters. The child, rendered in Sui Hoe’s trademark simplified form, emerges from the water to catch a bird which has flown away while another bird in striking red appears to sit on his head. It is a fable of missed opportunities, perhaps, but with the bird having won its freedom.