where there is smoke there is fire

This painting takes its title from the Dutch saying; if there is a sign of something, there is usually truth behind it. The phrase is made literal here, with traces of burning on the surface. Smoke and fire mark the lines, leaving behind both destruction and form, as if the proverb itself has been scorched into the work.

Among the first works, it shows how Tienqa transforms language into image, turning a familiar phrase into a physical presence of heat, ash, and connection.


Tienqa Origins Series