The Color of Fate

Crab is a staple of Chinese meals during Autumn. They have sharp claws, which make them seem threatening at first, but in the face of humans, those claws can do little to protect them. One thing I’ve always found interesting about crabs is their coloring. When they are alive, they are a mucky gray. But after being boiled, they turn a vibrant orangey red.

In these photos, one living crab clings to a paint palette. Its claws turn red as it grips the red pigment, sensing an imminent threat in me, the photographer. It faces its possible future, a dead crab on the other side of the palette. It seems there is a conversation between the living and the departed. Their individual experiences knit different stories even the fate is all the same.

People are like crabs, empowered by a false sense of control and capability. Even the most formidable people still can’t break free of the larger forces of society and biology. The most fortunate and unfortunate thing about crabs are their possession of claws. The most fortunate and unfortunate thing about us is our possession of consciousness. But even in the face of knowing our fates, we can still live our lives in joy and color.