Bangka (Boat)

Superficially, Bangka (Boat) can be observed to be child's play, literally, what with the young male subject sitting on the shoulders of his father, looking through the eye of the telescope, supported by a female figure who resembles a boat. But as with all of Mark Justiniani's works, there is always a deeper perspective. The three subjects in the work should be regarded as a family unit. He has stacked them on one another, reminiscent of the integral network of dependence on each other and especially in this instance, the kinship amongst family. His subjects are central against a mostly uncomplicated background, with the sky a common backdrop in his works. Painting the profiles of his subjects looking into the distance, which is not privy to the viewer, concentrates the energies of the subjects on deciphering the future of this journey. It is suggested through this work, the concept of conquests and the ensuing journeys. Mobility brings with it challenges - the displacement of where the home is no longer in the current location and possibly neither in the impending location. In Mark Justiniani's other works too, it is his male subjects who wield a telescope looking towards the beyond, often accompanied by the recurring motif of a folded paper boat, which is absent in this painting. Recalling the eminence of relationships, he has positioned the mother as the Bangka (Boat). However more importantly, this supporting vehicle of progress keeps everyone afloat and realises what they have been searching for throughout the journey: she has created a home out of the situation.