These diptychs record an intimate conversation between me and strands.

 

Since around November 2020, in order to prevent covid out of board, our government made a strict rule for overseas Chinese citizens who want to back to China. For those who were infected virus in UK, they have to test their PCR and Antibody IgM. However, they could not know accurate days of being negative on Antibody IgM so they were pushed to stay in UK. Furthermore, turn to the domestic side, under extremely unfriendly and tense vibe to covid, some people see overseas Chinese as potential risks then abuse them. Hence, they were in a dilemma situation.

 

Due to that situation, I started to contact and interview them then photographed portraits and related objects. After that, I sew their experience on the paper and attach their objects to the back of the paper. The unreadable words seem to include their trauma, conflicts and helplessness.

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‘Whispers’ is from a public view to understand the strands, but ‘Talk to Her’ is a limbo experience from a private view.

 

These photos depict a process that my girlfriend infected ‘Delta’ in the early time of the pandemic and then we tried to find a way of going back to our homeland. In addition, the work combines with my seventeen diaries written during her very first quarantine life. I am not only talking about staying strong to her, but also speaking out my doubts to the motherland.     

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                                                                                                                                                                written in 08/2022