The World Is A Better Place Because You Are In It
Receiving this note from a fortune cookie, I asked myself: What difference I have made to this world? In this piece of work, I replace my existence with a silhouette in important moments of my life: travelling with my family, having fun with friends, performing on the stage, teaching girls STEM and leaving for America with my sister. The scenes are all incomplete because one element is lost: the unity and the affecting power I bring to each group. I smile to myself: "The world is a better place because I am in it."
Family Heritage
The inspiration of this piece is from the legend of my great-grandmother, who endured the past century's turmoils in China. The wiring records the significant moments in her life: persuaded to abandon my loudly-crying grandmother in the river as Japanese aircrafts bombed overhead; protecting her offsprings in the raids; earning an income when my great-grandfather was imprisoned in Chinese Cultural Revolution. Though she passed away, her persistent and independent spirits remain for the family culture. When light shines onto the installation, strong shadows of the metal cast into the background, signifying the tumultuous history forever cast the meaning of life into my family.
Bubble Carnival
When I play my guitar each night, the scene of my family playing music together always emerges in my mind; the difference is that I am alone. My parents, sister and grandmother are only in my imagination, represented by thought bubbles that are physically unreal. They can no longer accompany me when I play my guitar since we live in two sides of the Pacific Ocean; but I continue playing, just like our individual dream bubbles pursuing different journeys. In the background there is a photo taken two years ago, and my existence is also represented by the bubbles, as I departed from that me to be who I am now.
"Crossing": it is me crossing the transection; it is me crossing the sea of people. The large flows of people are one of my deepest memories in Shanghai. When I first saw "PED XING", I took "xing" as the Chinese word "ok; great". So is't this Xing telling me that I am great and ready to overcome the resistance and challenges of heading into my directions?
FaceTime
When my parents come to visit me in Southern California, our family reunite in a special way. With the advantage of the internet, the distance of the Pacific Ocean ceases to dictate our family bond. We FaceTime with my sister to chat about our daily affairs just like if we have never parted and bring our hearts closer than ever.
Connected
While we live across the continent, we enjoy our moments and share photos of happiness with each other. When my mother sent me a photo of enjoying the morning coffee with my sister, I felt the space aside from the screen all dissolved into blissfulness. The color blocks froze all my current worries and gave me the energy to feel love and passion.
Dancing Spirits
Dance is also a part of my personality, just as a studio artist. I choreograph this dance and present it through hand-drawing frame animation. The colors show the different personalities in the dance through the varying lights. In the end, the uncolored white light reveals the true color of the dancer's costume that symbolises the pure love and the unwavering heart for dance
"The Two Worlds"
In a globe drawn by my sister, she defines the world as two sides: one with our parents and her, the other with me. When I reflect on the globe she constructed, I realize that I establish my extended family all around the world: I travelled to and lived in different parts of the world with various friends that define a world of my own.
Across-Age Bond
According to the Chinese calendar, my mother is “two rounds” elder than me; however, our close relationship overcomes the age difference just as our zodiacs, ox and dragon, meet at the center of the year cycle.
Blood Tie
Inspired by Frida Kahlo, I link the hearts of my family members with blood vessels in the shape of Chinese papercuts to symbolize the culture within our blood.
"Take Care"
When my parents ended their visit in California and started their way to the airport, they repeatedly told me to "take care" in Chinese. Their last words permeated in the space around me that dissolved all my surroundings into love and longing.
*HUG*
When I arrived in the international airport in Shanghai after a year of living alone in California, I shared a simple but deep hug with my mother as the first thing. Without any words, the force within the hug explained the bond and love between us and all the struggles and excitements of the year.