Embracing Our Inner Elves: Illustrator Bu Ta Ching／擁抱內心的守護精靈─不達景
Embracing Our Inner Elves: Illustrator Bu Ta Ching
◎English translation: Hou Ya-ting ◎Photos courtesy of Bu Ta Ching
Mr. Bu Ta Ching is the pseudonym of a Kaohsiung local who brings magnificent fantasy stories to life through colorful, warm and imaginative illustrations. These alluring works show elves with contagious smiles, gleefully wandering through beautiful natural scenes. The vibrant elves enliven and excite readers, reveling in a leisured atmosphere, and encouraging readers to read on.
Mr. Bu Ta Ching's Elf Water figure has its origins in a difficult period when he was accompanying his mother during her cancer treatment. Elf Water is a metaphor based on the concept of water as the essence of life. The artist points out that he always depicts Elf Water with closed eyes to stress the importance of continuous dialog with one's inner self. He says that to present Elf Water with open eyes would signify the blindness of seeking things from the outside world instead of listening to oneself. Mr. Bu Ta Ching encourages people to find peace of mind through communicating with their inner selves. Another of his major characters, called Elf Seed, derives from arboreal concepts, as forests abound with thriving creatures. The energetic Elf Seed, an outgoing and fearless character, is keen to embrace all manner of challenges and adventures.
Mr. Bu Ta Ching created both Elf Water and Elf Seed at a time when he was experiencing some setbacks. He believes that being in a personal slump actually presents wonderful opportunities for oneself. He believes every seemingly desperate situation conceals a gift, and that bad news must contain good news. Mr. Bu Ta Ching is able to relieve sadness and anger by pouring love into his paintings. His works emanate with encouragement. His art comforts others as well as himself.
In 2010, Mr. Bu Ta Ching enrolled in the 1st Artists in Residence Project, an art program hosted by Kaohsiung City Government's Bureau of Cultural Affairs. He says he was happy to join this program as a way of contributing to his hometown. Kaohsiung has long been known for its heavy industries, but Mr. Bu Ta Ching says he has never seen the city as merely industrial, rather beholding the city's sky and ocean, and the natural environment he enjoyed as a child. These experiences enriched his creativity. "Everyone possesses their own imagination. I'm very fortunate that I'm able to express my imagination through brushes," he says.
擁抱內心的守護精靈─不達景
◎文／藍秋惠 ◎圖片提供／不達景
來自高雄的插畫家不達景，用一幅幅用色溫暖、想像力豐富的插畫，打造出廣闊的奇幻世界。在不達景的繽紛國度裡，可愛精靈徜徉在大自然的懷抱中，像孩童一樣無憂無慮，總是面帶富感染力的喜悅笑容，看著精靈們充滿生命力的身影，讓人感受內心被洗滌的愜意。
在陪伴母親治療癌症的煎熬過程，不達景創造出水精靈「安心步子」，意味「安心走出每一步」，除了水的生命意象，她蘊含內在寧靜的力量，這也是安心步子總是閉起眼睛的原因─專注於自身、享受與自我的對話；若張開雙眼，便會盲目向外追求，最後往往忘了自己。不達景期盼人們可以像安心步子一樣，好好「向內」尋找心中的安然。安心步子後，不達景還創造種子精靈「森心林」。種子，意味森林中源源不絕的生命，蘊含另一種可能性。森心林是個有力量的小精靈，活潑、無懼而熱愛冒險，象徵從「心」出發，勇敢面對外界挑戰。
無論是安心步子或森心林，都是不達景從逆境中淬煉出的禮物，他相信：「黑暗會帶來很棒的禮物，壞消息裡一定有好消息。」在不平靜的外在紛擾中，他選擇回歸內心的安靜天地，將悲傷、憤怒的負面情緒沉澱後轉化，以「愛」來創作，讓作品充滿正面力量，療癒眾人，同時也撫慰自己。
2010年，不達景入選第一屆高雄文創設計人才回流駐市計畫，「故鄉這麼棒的地方，一定可以發展得更好！」。不達景非常願意為高雄盡一份心力，從小在高雄長大，對故鄉天馬行空的幻想，豐富了他的童年。他描述，自己眼中看到的不是工業區，而是在腦海內打造的奇幻宇宙，高雄的天空、海洋，以及小時候與大自然接觸的經驗，都給予他日後創作的豐沛養分，「每個人都有想像力，而我很幸運地可以透過畫筆表現我的想像。」
不達景曾經在駁二藝術特區展覽作品，稱讚駁二讓高雄更有藝文氣息，他尤其喜歡西子灣美麗的海岸。高雄人待人直接而熱情，不達景認為在這裡，可以感受人與人之間深刻的情感與溫度，高雄，正如他作品一直想傳達給大家的訊息一樣，帶給人舒適、快樂。