2022 Shanghai Lockdown
People in Shanghai went through a lot this past spring, from the beginning of lockdown at the end of March till the end of lockdown at the beginning of June. I started my O/X series from January when I painted <the world.us>, which is about our human history and the way it is today. I continued with the symbolism theme during the lockdown period, but the subject matter turned to our everyday ordinary vegetables and fruits. They still represent our reality: that our world is mixed with illusions versus reality, truth versus falsehood, cycles versus interceptions, right versus wrong, good versus bad. However, this time around, I really wanted and needed some fresh vegetables.
O/X Spring 2022 X-XII is a summary representation of what went on in my head and heart during the first two months of Shanghai lockdown in April and May, 2022. I set out to paint this set when I was feeling stressed about the lack of food and supplies staring end of March and having to deal with the confusions and restrictions in my surroundings. Every day, my top priority was to look for food for my family. Fresh vegetables and fruits were particularly difficult to find and store. I constantly felt stress and fear that I might not be able to provide enough food for my family. This was the time when I started the first painting of this series (X). After a few weeks, it became evident that I had to learn to cope with and accept my new circumstances and challenges, that they were my new reality. I decided to treat my canvas as my imaginary happy land, where all the vegetables and fruits and nutrients that I needed, physically and mentally, were freely dropping down from Heaven, for I know God will provide. So I was feeling very excited and happy when I painted the second piece (XI). As the lockdown continued, I learned to let go of my anxiety and made peace with my circumstances. After a while, the situation did improve: group buys and broader choices of food became available, physically I was more relieved. That’s when I did my third piece of this series (XII). I was cruising up and down Maslow’s hierarchy of needs at the same time on a daily basis. I wonder if Abraham Maslow thought this scenario was ever possible?
At the end of May, 2022, as I write this note, my outer world remains restricting and confusing, lockdown continues, but my inner world has changed, and OUR STORY continues …
Photos by Irene Chang Studio
