The Pearl Seeker

In this painting, Bregeda confronts the subject of interaction between yin and yang. The space of this canvas is divided in two: yang on the left and yin on the right. The system of symbols and archetypes acting with one another are Heaven and Earth, the moon and the ocean, man and woman, the pearl and the oar. The pearl is a symbol of mystical, feminine, erotic force. According to Ju, Aphrodite was born this way in the pearl shell and came out of the waters in China. The shell is said to have powers to make wishes come true. This is one of the treasures of Confucianism. The collector of pearls in the boat with an oar (a phallic symbol) finds a treasure. The sleeping woman is also dreaming about being found and woken up from her dream. This represents the eternal search and the attraction of two principles. The ghostly sails in the sky are the eternal symbol of dreams. The birds are messengers and mediators between the celestial and terrestrial and Mother Nature is everywhere and in everything.