Koi are fancy breeds of Japanese carp. Interestingly most of the colourful varieties have been created in the 20th century only, but we are very familiar with the koi iconography featured in old prints and in traditional tattoos and ink paintings, in Chinese as well as Japanese culture. I was drawn to them as a subject for a variety of reasons. Koi have a rich mythological history, and enjoy cult status as highly prized animals. In general they are considered ‘lucky’.