Observation of an Amateur Artist

Colored draft of mango, drawn by the writer.

     What is this fruit? Anyone? anyone? Though it is modified for drawing and its colors are relatively faint to the real fruit, it is mango. The cut-open version of mango may be familiar, as it is the 'normal' version of mango we see. The leaf on top may seem surprising - I never expected mango leaf to be so long, and it to have such gradient of color, shading from light orange to deep red. But as I delved deeper in search of the actual form of mango in its raw state, I found that mango was more interesting fruit that I thought.

White and black version of unripe mango, drawn by the writer.

     Mango trees have droopy stems that look like willow trees. They have long stems ending with long leaves, somehow reminding the lazy atmosphere of a random afternoon. Their dotted stems stretch out, and it almost looks as if they are about to reach the ground again. Comparing the image of trees and their gradual change in its gradient, it occurred to me how different the fruit actually was compared to the "image" of mango I previously had inside my mind.

     Thinking about it, it was weird seeing a fruit I love from a different perspective. Not only that the un-yellow fruit was a new sight, but the fact that it grew on a tree and was a 'fruit' seemed new. All the mango I have known were in containers, often cut into cubes, squeezed to make juice, or condensed into specks of dust to be smelled. I realized how the fruit was unknowingly losing its name and became silent. Its voice recovered only as someone came to observe its beauty again.