Lilli Waters

Black fish drift among floating orchids, reimagined as the lanterns of the nāga, serpent deities and protectors of thresholds in Thai folklore. Some ancient stories describe nāgas transforming into fish, symbolising adaptability, mystery, and hidden power.

In Traiphum cosmology, nāgas connect the underworld, the earthly world, and the heavens, serving as intermediaries between the realms. This work evokes a threshold space, partly aquatic and partly celestial, where floral beauty meets the mystical presence of the nāga or Matsya avatar. The scene suggests a protective, almost divine environment that links mythology, nature, and spirituality.

Says Lilli Waters of her photographic series ‘Sunken Water Gardens สวนใต้น้ำ’, “I explore my Thai heritage and ancestral mythology, drawing from the Buddhist cosmology of Traiphum, the Three Worlds, encompassing the celestial (heavenly), the terrestrial (earthly), and the infernal (underworld). These ethereal underwater still-life landscapes intertwine plants, flowers, and fish to create tranquil, meditative scenes that reflect my preoccupation with the natural world while connecting to cultural memory. Offerings of flowers and water become gestures linking the living with the divine.

"I have always felt a detachment from my Thai heritage, yet I see it reflected in the way my mother looks and in gestures that feel familiar. I am
deeply curious about what has been carried across generations, the weight of trauma and nostalgia, the silences, the absences, and the things never spoken but deeply felt. Through my underwater still-life photography, I explore the intersection of these cultural identities, blending traditional Thai symbolism with contemporary artistic expression."