Every fantasy artist finds their way away from the mundane world in their own manner, but all available evidence points to a love of — and fascination with Mother Ocean as the spark that turned Schin Loong to a universe of the unreal. While brightly colored fish and undulating jellies serve as backdrop in several of her pieces, don’t be surprised to find her young women featuring a tentacle or two of their own.

In spite of the ever-present fantastic elements in Schin’s captivating portraits, mortality seems a constant companion, patiently waiting in the darkest corners. We find glamorous monsters venturing forth, as well as innocent girls haunted by alien visions of unattainable beauty.

To be clear, the majority of women in Ms. Loong’s portraits are not sea creatures, nor are they even overly wet.  Like the deep blue ocean, however, they conceal their darkest secrets with layers upon layers of beauty and danger. These enchanted creatures at once alluring and frightening. In the end, the allure will certainly prevail.