My Linh Mac LLC

Trained in photorealistic painting, where every brushstroke is under control, Mac set out with Ranbu to do the opposite: put the brush down and let the paint go wild. The series takes its name from "乱舞のメロディ" (Ranbu no Melody, “Melody of the Wild Dance”), a single by the Japanese band SID, and it took nearly half a year of trial and error before the paint started dancing to her tune. Without a brush, she couldn’t decide exactly where the colors would land, so she focused on what she could control: the size and shape of each laser-cut plywood piece, the color combinations, and the tilt angle that sets how fast the paint flows and spreads. The result is more than 80 works, often described as “paintings that paint themselves,” that look like Victorian ceramics up close, plus a lesson that stayed with her long after: let go of what you can’t control, and find your rhythm within the chaos. Named after gemstones, marbles and seasons, Ranbu pieces have won many awards and been shown in museums, galleries and group exhibitions in more than 10 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.