"MERRY-GO-ROUND OF LIFE" FINE ART PRINT

Merry-Go-Round of Life - Joe Hisaishi (timestamp 0:49-1:31)

Choreography and Painting by Mae Bet

16" x 20" Semi-Glossy Fine Art Paper

14" x 18" Semi-Glossy Fine Art Paper

Bleed Size - No Bleed (Image goes to edge of paper)

Artist Notes:

I can’t even begin to describe how special this piece is to me—blending childhood memories of traditional Thai and Lao dancing with the magic of Studio Ghibli.

Though I was never classically trained in Western dance, my heart was granted a wish through the Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute (TCFAI) of Chicago, where I had the honor of learning traditional Thai dance. I was already fon or lumming against the wall before I could even stand as a baby—so reconnecting with those roots in adolescence, and again during COVID by learning traditional Lao dance virtually with the DFW Lao Heritage Foundation, truly healed my soul.

I’ve always searched for ways to weave this style of movement into my modern-day dancing—usually hip hop, heels, or jazz funk—and never in my life did I think it would be to the music of Joe Hisaishi.

Studio Ghibli and Joe Hisaishi’s work have always been a core part of my life… but I never saw this fusion coming. And somehow—it just felt right.

If you walk into my studio, you’ll see Studio Ghibli characters graffitied across the walls. It was like foreshadowing this moment—because when this movement came to life as a choreographic painting, it all came together.

What better way to honor both my past and my present than to bring it all into my future home—building peace together, one stroke at a time.