May we, across a thousand miles, together gaze upon her beauty - Steel, rice paper, ink , H: 85x W: 85x D: 7 cm (Main body), H:208.5x W: 99 x D: 80cm (Overall), 2024
This wall sculpture delves into the conflict between fulfilling filial piety and leaving home to pursue a personal life, as well as the tension between my roots and my wandering lifestyle. It contrasts metal and rice paper roof tiles, both depicting the same concept—home. The solidity and permanence of home in China contrast with the transient nature of home formed by my experiences abroad. Fragmentation and displacement create a sense of disconnection and reflect the emotional toll of being separated from my family, with the rust also indicating the passage of time. The extended part can be read in both upward and downward directions, indicating the falling apart and restructuring of my drifting home. These tiles form a moon reflection in the water, symbolizing a future where separation can be transcended or an aspiration for reunion. This echoes the title, 'May we, across a thousand miles, together gaze upon her beauty' (her beauty here means the beauty of moonlight), a line from a well-known poem by Su Shi from the Song Dynasty, depicting the connections between people who are far away from each other, which resonates deeply with every cultivated Chinese person.