The Sea

In 2018, I went to Tahiti for a friend’s wedding. When I came back, I painted this ocean.

Getting there was quite an adventure—flight, stop, transfer, another flight… about 36 hours in total. 
But honestly, it was totally worth it.

My friend’s wife is from Tahiti, so the wedding was very traditional—and definitely not a wedding I could forget.

At the beginning, the bride and groom came out completely naked, each wrapped in a white sheet. 
Then, surrounded by family and friends, they danced, turned around and around, and somehow ended up wrapped together in the same sheet. It was romantic, a little crazy, and full of energy.

And then came the food.

The night before, they had buried all kinds of food underground, with hot coals underneath, 
and then piled everything on top—meat, vegetables, fruit… 
If I remember correctly, there was one huge piece of meat in the middle. 
What kind of meat? Honestly, I have no idea anymore!

And French weddings… well, let’s just say staying sober is not really part of the plan.
 There was wine, lots of wine, and somehow, drinking started in the morning.

Our group of old friends also prepared a surprise for the couple. 
We had practiced Anna Kendrick’s “Cups” for ages, singing and tapping paper cups to keep the beat.

During dinner, we suddenly all started singing together. And then I saw tears in the bride’s eyes.

It was their song—the song that brought them together.

But what I remember most about Tahiti is the blue.

We visited the grandmother of an old friend, and from her terrace, we could see this incredible ocean—the kind of view you always see in Tahiti travel commercials.

The water was so clear, so unbelievably blue. It was probably my favorite shade of blue.
 I’d almost call it my own version of Tiffany blue.

It was so beautiful, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.