Touching Water — Tonbo Dragonfly Series | Original Framed Panel Painting

TONBO — Dragonfly Series

The Tonbo Series is a four-piece body of work by a young Chinese artist and university educator, inspired by the experience of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s live performance and the enduring spirit of his iconic song Tonbo (とんぼ / “Dragonfly”).

In Tonbo, the dragonfly carries an emotional world far larger than the insect itself—aspiration, struggle, loneliness, freedom, and the determination to continue forward while remaining true to oneself. Drawing from that spirit, the artist transforms the dragonfly into a recurring visual symbol of youth and the pursuit of one’s own path.

Across four compositions, the dragonfly rises, hovers, touches the water, and spreads its wings. Each captures a different moment in the journey, while together they form a meditation on ambition, uncertainty, resilience, and freedom.

III. 

Touching Water

A vivid red dragonfly descends toward the surface of the water, its tail meeting the surface and sending concentric ripples outward.

Touching Water captures a fleeting intersection between movement and reflection. Within the larger narrative of the Tonbo Series, it represents the moments when the pursuit of something distant gives way to introspection—a brief encounter with oneself before continuing forward.

The saturated turquoise ground and energetic red dragonfly give the work an immediate contemporary quality, while the rippling water introduces a sense of calm beneath the movement.

Presented in a substantial wood frame with a dark layered finish and light inner border, the work arrives ready to display.

Details:

Artwork Size: 40 × 50 cm (15.7 × 19.7 in)

Framed Size: 62 × 72 cm (24.4 × 28.3 in)

Medium: Panel Painting

Frame: Wood Frame

Orientation: Vertical / Portrait

Series: Tonbo — Dragonfly Series

Artwork: Original

Presentation: Framed and ready to display