The Praying Mantis⁣⁣ 2022⁣⁣ Jex Wang ⁣⁣ Acrylic paint and magazine clippings on canvas ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This painting was inspired by a praying mantis I saw on a bus once. I was taking the rail replacement bus from Dandenong to Caulfield when I noticed the insect slowly crawling up the railing on the door. I thought to myself - “I wonder what stop this praying mantis is supposed to get off at” ⁣⁣ Then I started getting anxiety thinking about how maybe this bug lived in Dandenong and it accidentally got on the bus and now it’s going to end up really far away from where it’s supposed to be. What about it’s friends? It’s family? It’s home? It’s goals and aspirations? Have they fulfilled their destiny? ⁣⁣ As the bus pulled up to Caulfield, I was getting really stressed. I wanted to take the praying mantis off the bus but I didn’t because I didn’t think there was a safe place to leave the bug by the train station. Caulfield is really busy train station and it would’ve gotten trampled. Anyways I regrettably left the praying mantis on the bus, I should’ve taken it to a park or something but I had to go meet a friend in the city. Sometimes I lay awake at night thinking about whether or not it ever got home okay. It’s definitely dead now⁣ ⁣ Exhibited 14/09/2022 at Organ Pipes National Park and on BeReal