Title: Bloodlines

This work represents the consumption of women by overpowering state control and social pressure. The text in the background comes from genuine government propaganda and is written upside down and written unevenly to question it’s validity. The slogans read “Giving birth to a boy or a girl are both equally good”, “Girls can also carry the family bloodline. Tomorrow they are the builders of our country.”

A reverse-mermaid is used to suggest that the reproductive value of a woman is more important than anything else. The fish’s mouth points to the Chinese character for “woman”, while the woman’s feet point to a character meaning “to reproduce” or “to pass on the bloodline”.

The green colour of the bowl suggests spring – the start of reproduction.

Title: Nirvana

This work talks about the One-Child Policy in the countryside, and in-particular the importance of having a son, along with the policy’s environmental impact. The slogans are this time written as if they are on the doors to a house – where traditionally words are written that bring good fortune. The text across the top reads “Family Planning”, while down the side is “Have less babies and plant more trees” and “Have less babies and raise more pigs”. Again, these are from genuine Chinese government posters found in rural China.

The woman in the picture is posing in a Buddhist position and surrounded by a halo, which suggests that her achievement – giving birth to a son – has turned her into a religious icon or magical Buddha. However even as a Buddha, she has been placed under the frame of a door, where her movement is restricted. The forest in the background represents her environmental achievement – she helped the environment by having just one child.

The painting is to be hung above eye level, so viewers have to look up to her in a gesture of respect and admiration.

Having said that, there are some observations which can make your visit more pleasant and enjoyable, such as an awareness of the psychology of the country.

I have heard many culture shock stories from visitors, and often the conversation goes like this: I was so surprised how different China was compared to Japan. Yes, people like to compare their experience in China with that of Japan. I think it is very important that people are aware of the dichotomy of the two Cultures. The two countries do

One of My Home Town's Public Square

Lets use the the behaviour of spitting in public places as an example. In China, the government forbids spitting for hygiene reasons, but the five thousand years of Chinese culture never said anything about it. So despite the government (which in comparison only existed just over 60 years) urging its population to abandon this behaviour it continues to this day. Many Westerners would be disgusted to tread through a road of spitting mines. But instead of letting this ruin your holiday and hold you hostage of fear, try to forget about the standard of Western culture for a second and think: right, you are in a foreign country, therefore it is pointless to try to measure this culture with your own, and just forget about your own expectations of how people should behave but rather they are nothing more than ‘different’ from your culture. In fact let me tell you something to cheer you up: Chinese are spitting much less because they are aware you are a foreigner, out of curtsey just to accommodate you. Learn from the locals, see how they have craftly avoided any damage from spit and you will come out a winner. (Note on spitting: Chinese are told not to spit from early in their education, but there are 1.3 billion of us, and some do not have the privilege of education or they just simply don’t care. I do not support the behaviour but simply find it funny and want to focus on the difference of cultures.)

People often find Japan is a much easier country to understand and easier place to relax and often they assumed the same from China. You are more likely to find a Western chain restaurant in any Japanese city than in China. Please do remember the size of the two countries are vastly different. China has 56 ethnic groups which have every different culture from one and the other. It is a country that covers 12 time zones and has more neighbouring countries than any country in the world, and yet the formidable mountains, rivers and deserts surrounding it made China an isolated country for centuries. To understand China, is to have the determination of climbing the Mount Everist . Simply going to a supermarket or restaurant in China town, will not equip you with sufficient knowledge to survive real culture shock in China.

The other very common culture shock is staring. Yes, it is rude over in the West, while in China, it is an honour if you get stared at. Imagine seeing the royalty on the London street? Won’t you stare and be amused? Yes, you are as fascinating as royalty to the Chinese people. Even though their looks can be bland and appear emotionless at first glance. So before you give the on lookers the angry what-the-hell-are-you-staring-at treatment, let me tell you something that will light up the situation. Before I go any further, it is important to point out that staring – which is considered rude in the West – does NOT have the same meaning in China. Everyone is allowed to stare and be stared at in China – it simply means something is interesting therefore worth a look, and it only display the inquisitive nature of human beings.

My first awareness of how Chinese love to stare was in front of the train station in my home town. In any city’s station you will find the most curious people because this is the first stop of the 865 million or so farmers pouring into the cities searching for work each year. To them, anything interesting could be an opportunity. My mother left my husband and I to attend the luggage while she went to get tickets. Within 5 minutes, there was a full circle of people around us, doing nothing, just staring. And there was my husband and I who tried very hard to ignore them. Nobody did anything, nobody made a sound or a gesture. Just a group of people staring. By the time my mother came back, all she could see was a wall of people. She pushed through the crowd expecting some kind of drama, but instead, all she found was the two of us amused and puzzled . It can be frightening if you are not the comedic type, but we should have done what my mother did, she just brought up a sunny smile and waved at all of them and said, it’s only my daughter and her husband, what is there to stare at?’ Within seconds, all the onlookers dissolved into thin air like they were never there before!

My husband had developed a great humorous strategy against the staring culture, instead of getting angry, he gave them a big grin and stared right back at them. which usually caught them so off the guard that they either stumble or get very shy and embarrassed. Once, he was on a bike, cruising through the pleasant early summer evening. In the other direction came a guy who decided this foreigner was entertaining to stare at. My husband’s grin and straightforward stare was so magical he was transfixed and eventually walked right into the tree in front of him.

A lot of people I talked to seemed to get very upset when they encountered culture shock in China. They would say how could the locals do this and that, how unacceptable they could be. But what is acceptable? Have you ever thought that what is acceptable for you might not be for the locals. Everyone has his own social standard. Try to remember why you are there in the first place – didn’t you want to experience a different culture? When there, try to be an observer rather than a judge. The sooner you get this in your head, the sooner you will have a much better, relaxing and enjoyable holiday to come. Why not find in a humorous way to accept those differences, which will surely let you come home with some stories to tell.

Students wait with luggages in Tiananmen Suqare

In recent years, China has caught up very fast on the movements of Westernization and globalization. The causes for culture shock are becoming fewer and fewer, and I hear more about how much people love their visit in China (mainly the big cities) these days. I feel grateful for people’s acceptance of Chinese culture on one hand, and find myself disappointed at the speed of change on the other hand. Wouldn’t it be so boring if you don’t get anything new at all? That is the mystic charm of China. So if you still want to find some thrill, go deeper into the north west of China which is less exposed but offers a ray of cultural diversity. However, there are very important and valuable lessons China can learn from other countries. Such as the attention to hygiene, human rights, tackling corruption and bribery. And I hope China will learn them fast.

After spending 13 years of my life in Britain, I have a very different view on racism compared to most of my fellow foreign friends. When people ask me whether I encounter a lot of racism in this country, I honestly don’t think so. However, it is often a very different matter when I ask other migrants. I have always wondered why.

The best example to demonstrate this would be my mother. She was a well educated scientist who gained prestigious recognition in the field of chemistry. Three years ago she came over to Britain, and suddenly for the first time, I was aware of the oppressive existence of racism through the experiences my mother. Within two months of arriving in the country, my mother had concluded this country was very racist. Eventually she broke lose and told me why. Among many tales, she said people would ignore her when she asked for help. I asked her whether she queued or waited for her turn. The answer was no. These behaviors would be perfectly acceptable in many situations back in China, but not so in Britain. There were obvious customs difference between the two cultures. I told her to Imagine that she were paying a visit to her friends’ house, as a courtesy, she would behave within the rules of the house as a sign of respect. So she should do the same while she was in Britain. She accepted my suggestion of adapting the local culture, and soon she found people were much easy to get along with, and she felt more confident and happier as a result.

There was another example where she bought a bottle of pepsi in a hot summer. Somehow the plastic bag broke and the bottle fell to the ground and was broken . She went back to the shop and tried to ask for a replacement from the same person who sold it to her. The assistant refused and there was nothing she could do but went home. She was very upset and told me how racist the person was. I told her it might not be the case. I asked her whether she ever saw some foreigners in China been ripped off by street traders? She said yes. It was the same thing, I told her. If you didn’t know the language to communicate and the rights you have in any country around the world, there was a good chance that you would be cheated, dismissed or neglected by the locals. There are always some people somewhere who will take advantage of you if you don’t know the rules. I told her if she could speak better English and insist to speak to the manager, that would be more than enough to get thing sorted.

The way I see racism is that it makes you angry, makes you filled with grudges; it defeats you without a battle; it makes you insignificant and prone to more attacks. Who would want to live a life like this? Yes, you might think it makes your life easier because you can blame every unpalatable thing on racism, but it also limit you chance of progress and having a better quality of life.

It is all in the attitude. My mother certainly enjoyed her life much more in Britain after she concentrated on more self improvements and less on finding fault in others. In comparison, Her friend who was in a same club could not see the other side of the coin. Auntie Ng was born in Hong Kong and lived most of her life in Britain. She was over competitive and often discourteous. Eventually, there were so many people who refused to be involved in any activities with her, and she ended up being very isolated. Instead of reflecting on her own behaviours, she constantly complained to my mum about how all the British people in the class had turned against her because they were racist. My mother knew that was utterly untrue since everyone was friendly and respectable to her. Being a friend, she told Autie Ng the truth and urged her to restrain her competitive behaviour and to treat others with more consideration. But Autie Ng would not listen, by the end the atmosphere was so unbearable for her she was forced out of the class. The outlook of racism did not do any favour for Autie Ng but made her life more miserable.

If every morning you woke up thinking everyone you encountered that day would be racist, you are not going to have a good day. You would give out this vibe of being a target and some people would pick up on that vulnerable emotion and indeed attack you. However, if you woke up thinking you were as equal as everyone else, you would have more confidence and self esteem that you would influence people around in a positive way. Treat unpleasant encounters as individual cases, either there is something you could improve on, or agree that there are always some bad peas in a pod and just move on. It may not make life as easy as labeling everything as racism, but it will give you more satisfaction as a human being. Remember that we choose to come to this country to experience and learn about different life and cultures not the other way around.

Of course there will always be some pathetic losers who call out names, but they do it to everyone, to women who look sexy, to men who look trendy, to anyone who is obese, to anyone is any different or better than themselves. Life is too short to waste a second of thought over those wretched creatures. If someone did ask to buy DVDs off you, just give them a bright smile and say: Yes, I have a lot, but I am just not interested in selling any to you.

grass, earth and flowers

While I was walking the dog, I saw this cherry tree. The striking thing was how the blossoms had fallen on the ground. They have woven with the spouting grass and the muddy earth, decorating the ground like a luxury blanket. Yet it’s so gentle and fragile, like the first layer of snow that had just touched the ground- absolutely beautiful yet disappears with a blink of the eye.

so I took the dog home and rushed back with paints and brushes. I was too excited I felt restless like a balloon that was about to bust with all the energy inside.

As an artist, I am always looking for colours. Right in front of me, I found one of the best examples. There were so many colours in just a palm sized ground, or even just on a blossom petal. I was over whelmed with all the colours that I was lost for words. The colour of the earth, the grass, the blossoms and the passing beetle all sent little electric currents to my heart. Wind blowing; clouds passing; people chatting; dogs running; the only still things I could gasp were me and these marvelous wonders of nature. It felt like I was having an quiet and intimate conversation with them that only I could understand. Everything else blurred out of the pleasurable indulgence and satisfying solitude I enjoyed when I painted.

I ended up squatting more than three hours. By then I couldn’t hold the brushes properly because of the cold. finally I had to lay on the snow of spring flowers to relax my numbed legs and wondered whether those petals would melt away underneath me. Looking at the racing clouds above my head, I felt dizzy and drunk on my new found well-being.

Paint with style

It was a sunny day, so I decided to go out and paint. I wanted to feel proud and sexy so I hit the town with a Costume National dress, 120mm Alexander Wang heels and a Dior Lady bag. I sat in front of the fountain and pulled out my canvas. I loved the surprises on people’s faces. Of course, people expected an artist to be covered in paints and wear only rough clothes. Yet here I am, in fashionable stylish clothes but still a painter. While I was painting, suddenly the thought of those 18th century geographers came to me. They used to dig up rocks in the fields with they full length velvet gowns. Now they must be happy to find a fashion follower in the form of an artist after three centuries. Therefore I have decided to paint only in fantastic clothes from now on. It works out perfectly: I love painting and I love feeling good.

the painting - fountain

Leading fashion editors at the presentation of the collection

It is ignorant to produce clothes which only flatter one type of body shape, these clothes are not made for real women. We aren’t all in the shape of a skinny chopstick. There are a variety of

the Cloud Dress, a favourite of the designer

Collection

Another problem I have with the collection is how minimalist they are. It doesn’t matter how

The collection

There is an absence of skill in her collection. If she went back to college and learned more basic skills and techniques, I believe she has great potential. With fame, wealth and influence, she will have the world of fashion kneeling at her feet.

Jennifer Hudson, Cameron Diaz and Demi Moore in the Beckham look

I was reading interviews with a group of renowned intellectuals including poets, writers, critics, musicians, reporters and artists etc who live in a newly developed area of Shanghai. In the interviews they explained that there was a lack of culture in their living environment because there was not enough government support. I am very frustrated with their opinions.

First, let me give you a brief history of the area. Xinzhuang (Village of Xin) was a farming village at the south west of Shanghai,  after passing the Huangpu River .  In the old days, villagers had to spend a whole day to reach central Shanghai, so no one paid any attention to this ‘backward’ place.

Old Xinzhuang

However, with the sudden expansion of Shanghai in the early 1990′s, the social, economical and architectural landscape of the village underwent dramatic changes. By the early 21st century, new houses and flats were built on the farmland to accommodate the ever expanding workforce of Shanghai; service industries flourished while farming struggled; cheaper housing prices and a new underground line (which reaches central Shanghai in half an hour) meant new residents from both inside the city (people looking for a more spacious home) and outside (manual labourers). Unlike in the west, where the expansion of a city happens over a long period of time, China did it overnight. Suddenly intellectuals find they are neighbours with farming peasants from the village or factory workers who came from villages all over China in search of a better life.

Xinzhuang housing

The intellectuals who were interviewed hold the belief that Xinzhuang has no culture of its own. Even though they live there, they do not interact with anyone in the area because the lack of culture in their neighbourhood. I felt a strong sense of sorrow and grief at their failure to see the newly emerged society has a rich mixture of cultures which were brought in by every group of its residents. It is pure arrogance for them to isolate their culture from the less privileged peasants and factory workers.

Old houses in Xinzhuang

Throughout the interviews, all the intellectuals seemed to call on the district government for cultural improvements to Xinzhang. I find this very hypocritical. These intellectuals are the best assets to inject, guide and unite the cultures of the area. But instead of trying something productive, they just simply push the responsibility to the government. Naively, one intellectual even suggests that the government should give 300 pounds to any young artist who plans to live there to attract new talent. But isn’t there plenty of intellectuals who live in the area already? Yet they have done absolute nothing for the community.

Let’s face the facts about China, how many impoverished familes coming from villages who are struggling for ends meet live in the community? Don’t they need more urgent

Xinzhuang Highway

support than some self imposed artist? Without a comfortable living standard, will people really care about art or culture? The government’s job is to improve the living standard for everyone in the area so they could one day have the privilege to appreciate culture.

Instead of blaming other residents or the government, why not take an initiative to work together and be the advocates of a new culture? Yes, culture needs time to grow and mature, but why not be the pioneers of this revolution.

The Chinese are a very curious race by nature, therefore, they will be drawn into anything that new and interesting, include culture. I have found this out through my own performance and sculpture exhibition in my hometown of Luoyang. Luoyang is a

People's Park, Xinzhuang (the biggest in Shanghai)

fast growing city just like Shanghai. When I staged my artworks around the public parks, I wasn’t sure how people would react (especially as it was on the coldest day of the year). However I got the most overwhelmingly intrigued audience I have ever seen to this date. People came from different backgrounds all eagerly engaged in the artwork and the discussions. Considering that this was only a spontaneous act, you can imagine just how much more you could have achieved with a bit more planning.

Exhibition in Luoyang

I find Xinzhuang a fascinating place right now. There you have all the ingredients of something new and exciting. Intellectuals can set up poetry workshops, art talks , classic readings etc all around public places. There are so many things you could do to

Xinzhuang's house planning

influence the population and lead a good local ‘cultural revolution’. Surely this will be much more productive than just complaining and hiding one’s head in the sand.

Had a terrible day on the phone with two BT Customer Service personnel. Yet by the time I finished this drawing while waiting on the phone for the third time, a sweet and gentle lady solved all my trouble with BT.