Harmony

In a remote ancient village called Shangun in Anhui Province, people have an extremely open-minded attitude towards death. In the small houses on both sides of the ancestral hall in every household, layers of stacked coffins are displayed, covered with cloth. The people here start preparing their own coffins when they are in their twenties or thirties, selecting their desired styles and materials. Death seems to be an accepted part of life in this place, not a taboo, but rather a process that everyone will eventually experience.

I once curated an exhibition in Shangun, Anhui, and during that time, I was deeply influenced by the optimistic and open attitude of the villagers towards death. Inspired by this, I created this series of works. By combining coffins, which carry the symbolism of death, with bright and vivid colors, the intention is to break the inherent views and superstitions that people hold towards death and to imbue it with a more natural and open-minded meaning.