Through the Looking Glass: Isabelle Yi Lu Questions the Beauty of Captivity
At the Future Art & Design Award 2026 Summer Season, Isabelle Yi Lu received the Gold Prize in the Digital Painting category for Through the Looking Glass, a work that questions the uneasy relationship between fascination and captivity. Seen from within a fish tank, two contrasting figures become observers of aquatic life, while the viewer is invited to consider the creatures confined behind the glass.
A self-taught high school artist based in the UAE, Lu draws on the manga series The Summer Hikaru Died to examine the difference between curiosity and indifference. Carefully directed light, character expression and viewpoint give the scene an unsettling tension: the beauty of what is displayed cannot be separated from the conditions of its display.
In this piece, “Through the Looking Glass”, the fish tank is the silent protagonist, capable of grasping the attention of two contrasting figures: one who is calm and in the eyes of a human, and the other who is curious and in the eyes of a non-human in a human vessel. The behind-the-glass POV that lets us see the two figures shows the boundary between two worlds:
the characters, one curious and one unbothered, observing aquatic beauty while also showing the hidden silence and suffering the fish possess while being encased and trapped for display, despite their captivating presence.
I utilised the unique characters from the series “The Summer Hikaru Died”, where their existing personalities are captured in their expression, pose, and composition.“Hikaru” bends down near the fish, showing his similarities in being a non-human organism, and he is placed closer to the light source metaphorical to his character. Yoshiki, on the other hand, has a solemn expression, rather than captivated by the fish, he is focused on hikaru, an outsider to humanity, pondering how humans are perceived through actions such as twisting beauty and nature for our own standard. My work secures the unexpected correlation between fictional characters while showing an abstract concept of the entrapment in fish and aquatic animals for us humans to observe and claim “beautiful”. I aim for the viewers to ponder on the irony of beauty using the ocean as our representative figure. Why do we find beauty and curiosity in other creatures, similar or different, through the vessel of entrapment rather than freedom?
Interview
Q. What initially inspired this project? Was there a particular idea, moment, or question that sparked its creation?
Isabelle: Initially, I was inspired by aquatic life, questioning how the beauty of the creatures we observe in aquariums is ultimately framed by captivity. I explored this narrative through the manga series The Summer Hikaru Died, where one of the main figures, a non-human entity, shows a fascination with human behavior by observing fish trapped in a tank. This highlights an irony inherent to human nature: how easily we overlook our cruelty when it serves our entertainment and desire.
Q. Looking back at the execution process, what proved to be the most compelling milestone or the most complex hurdle you had to overcome?
Isabelle: What I found challenging about this piece was character composition and expression. The subtle differences between the two figures' expressions reveal their contrasting perceptions of the fish before them. Capturing this exact tone and conveying the message digitally was my greatest challenge. In the end, by using focused lighting from the right side of the character with deep fascination, I aimed to mirror the meaning of the name 'Hikaru'—which translates to 'Light' in Japanese—reflecting his pure nature. This expresses the irony in how the human compared to the non-human entity views the fish.
Q. How was your experience taking part in the Future Art & Design Award UK?
Isabelle: Participating in FADA UK has been a deeply rewarding and empowering experience. FADA is a platform that offers a rich variety of art mediums and forms that brings together many talented artists and ideas. It was truly inspiring to see the creative journeys and exceptional works of other winners and participants through FADA UK.
Q. Could you tell us a little about your creative background?
Isabelle: I am Isabelle Lu, a high school student and self-taught artist based in the UAE. Driven by my ambition to transform creativity into expressive and practical outcomes, I express my work through multiple forms of drawing, digital painting, and interactive storytelling. My experience in digital creation and client commissions has instilled strong project management skills and consistent delivery habits. Additionally, through my roles as an art workshop instructor, school art ambassador, and organizer for community art projects, I excel not only independently, but also in taking on communication and leadership responsibilities within team and public settings.
Editor’s Note
Through the Looking Glass places the viewer in an unusual position: on the other side of the glass, looking back at those who look. This reversal gives the aquarium a voice without requiring the fish to speak.
The contrast between the two figures makes the painting more than an illustration of a fictional scene. Their different responses create a moral question about the ways people frame confinement as beauty. Lu’s use of lighting and expression lends this question emotional subtlety, making the Gold Prize-winning work a thoughtful reflection on observation, empathy and freedom.
