Louise Zhang The eye of Qidu, seeing over me and Grandpa

Based on a childhood memory of visiting my grandfather in Qidu, China, this work seeks to capture the moment I first witnessed the glow of a red sun outside the car window – a red orb at once beautiful and apocalyptic. I imagine speaking to Grandpa through a personal lexicon of symbols that have both cultural meaning and significance (persimmons to represent happiness and resilience; clouds to represent the celestial realms) and private significance (the loving hand of my grandpa to symbolise our relationship; the skull to represent my fear of his declining health). This work is a plea to the almond-shaped island of Qidu, our home, for protection.

Louise Zhang, 2022