Zee

This photograph is of a mosaic mural I came across in Amsterdam while walking to dinner with my girlfriend and her family. We were passing through the neighbourhood where they used to live when I noticed it and stopped to take a photograph.

I don't know what the artist intended the mural to represent, and honestly, I don't think I need to. To me, it looks like an underwater scene, with what appears to be a mermaid surrounded by fish and other sea life. What caught my attention most was the way it had been made. Rather than simply being painted onto a wall, the entire image is constructed from hundreds of pieces of tile and ceramic, giving it a texture and depth that I don't think would have had the same effect as paint.

Growing up around the ocean and beaches, the image immediately gave me a sense of nostalgia. It reminded me of a time when life felt much simpler, when the ocean was somewhere to explore and enjoy without thinking about responsibilities or what came next.

For me, the mural represents childhood, happiness, and freedom. It reminds me of what it feels like to experience the world without constantly thinking about everything around you. Just being there, enjoying the water, and having nowhere else you need to be.

It was a completely ordinary moment on the way to dinner, but for a few seconds, the mural brought me back to something much older. A reminder of when the world felt a little bigger, and life felt a little lighter.