姐妹
2023
Sumi ink on cicada paper and construction paper
Dear Josh and Serena,
I’ve had a lot of passing thoughts about family as of late. About the people we choose to surround ourselves with and rely on. About what we choose to inherit and what we choose to pass on.
I recently learned about a type of script called 女书. It’s believed to be the only one in existence created for and used solely by women. Women who used it talked about the comfort of being able to express freely. One of its main uses was for women to be able to pass down stories and learnings between generations.
The ink paintings are interpretations of two 女书 characters, 姐妹. I’ve also sent you a copy of my first writing of it, and one by mum. You’ll notice in 女书 , they take out the 女 qualifier. I don’t know why and maybe I’m reading into it too much… but the qualifier is irrelevant. You are both my siblings now, my chosen family.
When painting, my mind had a chance to wander and I had quite a lot of thoughts about heritage, and where we come from. The ‘motherland’. I know I, like most Chinese children born overseas, felt a period of distaste for the country. It’s been changing, with cultural shifts. Much the way Americans hope to be disassociated from their government, there is a lot that’s beautiful outside of what we hear of the CCP.
I ordered the cicada paper from China, where someone treated it by hand to get the finish. I know, not because of the listing (which I shouldn’t trust, obviously), but because of the peg imprints. Lately I’ve started to think of made in China differently, as Amazon gets swarmed by drop-sellers and I’m beginning to find the good stuff direct from the source.
And finally… to get to the last bit. Making this piece made me think a lot about mum. Just the process, I guess, and the use of the 女书 script got me thinking about the things I’ve learned from her. I always tell people “my mum’s superpower is making something out of nothing.” I remember in university she’d always put a bunch of hooks on the walls or attach little baskets when she visited, making the space magically more useful. I really liked the process of making one big artwork out of many smaller sheets, and in the process having something with more texture and depth than you could get with a clean canvas. And of course, beyond that… I know there’s nothing that makes her happier than seeing us siblings doing things for one another.
So I guess this is the conclusion. I think of this as a commissioned piece for your home, but really it’s a gift to mum.
With love,
Your sister Annie