Under the umbrella of globalization, there is an intimate struggle to balance Chinese identity and global culture. Western festivals, such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day are much more practiced by the new generations than the traditional Chinese festivals. The new generations seem to adapt the American style of living quickly: using iPhones, social medias, eating western foods, wearing imported luxury brands, even getting plastic surgeries to model western physical traits. I created a series of paintings as a snapshot of the clashes of the traditional Chinese values with the western influences. It will explore the new identity of the Chinese in the 21st century in the form of traditional art, Chinese watercolor. I recreated art works from ancient China and place the figures in contemporary China. The ancient figures are holding golf sticks, taking selfies or eating Big Macs. The art pieces are intended to be confusing, bizarre and ironic for the viewers. The contrast between the ancient figures and the modern products paintings are exaggerating yet it may be painfully true that our very own identity is being replaced by what we traditionally don’t belong to.
Li Bai, one of the most famous poets and romantic figures from Ancient China, was known for his wine drinking hobbit. I replaced his wine with a Big Mac in his hand. If he came alive in the 21st century, would he write a poem about the McDonalds that are opened everywhere in China?
Golfing becomes the iconic sports for the rich and the powerful people in China today.
Women used to be prohibited to show their faces in public in Ancient China, whereas today, taking selfies and make their own pictures public on social media are quite common among Chinese women.