The Sea

• The girlAt the bottom of the scene, in a dress, facing the sea.
• The sailing boatA white, curved sail and a dark hull.
• The birdFlying above the sail.
• The cloudy skyIn the background.

• BaseA grain of rice halved lengthwise, 5–6 mm
• Elements4 gold figures – girl, hull, sail, bird
• Height of the girlBarely more than the thickness of a sheet of paper
• 2005Year created

The fragile grain of rice had to be cut in half lengthwise, hollowed out and its wall polished mirror-smooth. The cloudy sky is made of a layer of coloured powder. He inserted the four gold elements one by one to create depth: the sailing boat at the back, the girl in front.

Rice is the staple food of more than half of the world's population. A single grain is half the world's daily bread – and this one holds an entire sea as well.