‘Meowtide' - SUGA
Another masterpiece of James Jean in his art series is called “Meowtide.” The art represents Min Yoongi, otherwise known as SUGA. The title itself consists of two words: “meow” and “tide.” The first word expresses Yoongi well because ARMY usually associates him with a cat. Based on the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the second word means the “regular upward and downward movement of the level of the ocean that is caused by the pull of the Sun and the Moon.
The subtitle of the piece is “Power of Courage and Challenges.” The painting shows the meaning of the subtitle as the character stands in the middle of the waves with his two cats right on his shoulders and his friend crab at the bottom.
It shows that he is not afraid of being drowned by the waves; rather, he stands in firm determination to survive. Many ARMYs assumed that the little crab symbolizes RM because both of them are known to be close, long-term friends since becoming a part of BTS. Their age gap is small, so they can easily confide in each other when needed.
Yoongi always tries to give courage to ARMY; he always shares his story about the struggles he faced in his life and how he overcame them through the songs that he made. One of the struggles is about his parents; in the past, they did not support his career as a musician because they regarded it as a risky job. But Yoongi never gave up on his dream. He came to Seoul and became a trainee, and now we can see him as one of the members of the biggest groups of this era. Because of his experiences, Yoongi never stops advising ARMY to always listen to their hearts and follow their dreams. He left a comment on Weverse saying: “Thank you for listening to my music. Do not let go of your dreams. You are more brilliant than anyone.”
Challenges or problems will always be a part of our lives, but if we focus on different parts of the problem, we may also witness beautiful sides to it. Like in the drawing, the focus is on the boy trapped in the waves, but we can also see flowers and butterflies in the sky. It shows that there is always a good side to the various challenges that we face, even on days where it may seem like the opposite.
Overcoming difficulties brings knowledge and courage to a person, for example. The waves are also painted with very vibrant colors instead of just plain blue. James Jean most likely wants to show us that the challenges in our lives are so many, but they are beautiful in their own way and we should appreciate each one of them. The boy almost looks content standing amongst the waves even though he is completely surrounded by them. He knows that he is not alone; he has two cats on his shoulders and a crab in front of him, and he smiles knowingly.
‘Narcissus’ - Jin
What comes to mind the first time you hear that name? The well-known character Narcissus from Greek mythology? The narcissus flower? Or perhaps the Narcissus and Goldmund book by Hermann Hesse? What if all of the sources mentioned have a high possibility related to this painting of Jin by James Jean?
As someone who was born in December, Jin has a narcissus flower, often known as the daffodil as his birthday flower internationally. Though not the same flower, the figure in the painting on the left is surrounded by flowers. Jin was seen holding, looking at, or standing among flowers throughout his career in BTS. The flowers in front of the mirror with a different reflection in “Blood, Sweat & Tears” music video and the smeraldo flower in the Bangtan Universe are the most memorable.
What does a flower usually represent? Beauty. Take, for example, Narcissus from Greek mythology. Cursed to fall in love with his own beauty, Narcissus sank into a lake after spending a long time gazing at his reflection on the surface. This was the mythology surrounding the narcissus flowers, or daffodils, which were usually found along riverbanks.
In their “BTS Live Trilogy Episode III Wings Tour” trailer, Jin was seen looking at and even kissing his own reflection on the water surface. This particular part might have been influenced by the Greek myth of Narcissus as previously mentioned.
Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse bring another narrative. This coming-of-age story follows two medieval men who are the polar opposite. Narcissus represents the “masculine mind” through science, logic, and God, whereas Goldmund represents the “feminine mind” through art and nature. Though this might be a stretch, it’s worth pointing out because the ideas of masculine and feminine are first emphasized through anima and animus by Carl Jung, the philosopher behind the “Map of the Soul” theory that has inspired BTS greatly.
The “Narcissus” painting by James Jean is subtitled with “Fundamental Beauty,” which summarizes all of the theories above. Across the whole Bangtan Universe, it’s Jin who plays the pivotal character who learned how to embrace his past, flaws, and wrongdoings that he couldn’t change, eventually coming to accept himself and focus on his future. By learning to love himself, Jin had to reflect on himself, recognize that all of his imperfections are what distinguishes him from others, and realize the beauty within himself.
As if sending a spiritual message, James Jean encourages us to realize the fundamental beauty within ourselves as the first step towards self-love. It’s no secret how Jin often praises his looks and labeled himself as “Worldwide Handsome.” He mentioned how this phrase has helped him become more confident, and this form of confidence could encourage ARMY to appreciate and love themselves even more, which James Jean also applies in his art.
Outro
One of the most appealing aspects of art is its ability to be interpreted based on one’s individual knowledge, insight, and experience in life. Written above were our personal explorations and interpretations of “Meowtide” and “Narcissus” by James Jean. By all means, we encourage everyone to do the same, to look at each curve, stroke, color, and formulate your own interpretations of these fantastic pieces.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written By: Endang & RAM
Edited By: Esma
Checked By: Anna Moon
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