A single koi hangs still in shallow, clear water, its body a patchwork of terracotta and white. Below it, a bed of pale pebbles stretches out in every direction. Off to one side, the high sun throws a sharp blue shadow on the bottom, and that shadow is what makes the fish feel like it is floating.
Esteban Olivares built this koi fish wall art with a palette knife, laying down thick, flat strokes of impasto. Each pebble is its own little slab of cream, sand, olive or slate. The fins catch light in thin ridges of paint, and the ripples at the top are pulled across in long, cool swipes of blue and gray. Up close it reads as texture. From across the room it turns into water.
It is a quiet, peaceful wall art piece for anyone who loves a Japanese koi painting but wants something looser and more modern than the classic brush-and-ink look. Collectors of koi fish prints, pond keepers and people who just like the calm of moving water will find a lot to look at here.
This canvas wall art sits well in a bathroom, a reading corner, an entry hall or a bedroom where you want a slower pace. The warm sand tones play nicely with natural wood, linen and stone, and the touches of orange bring a little life to neutral rooms.