As the old Chinese saying goes, "The same kind of rice provides for a hundred kinds of people
(一樣米養百樣人)." Literally, it means everybody thinks a little differently regardless of their similar backgrounds.
The nature of Chinese characters resembles that of people. Though having the same origin, their contents can be vastly different. Some even look strange and awkward. To echo with the theme of this work, Chinese characters beginning with the radical "宀" or being related to the theme are remade into new but strange ones.
My work was inspired by last year Umbrella Movement that happened in Hong Kong fighting for a fair election. It had shown people's solidarity and peacefulness. Nevertheless, dark, chilling sides – Government's defamation and splitting up - had also been unveiled.
In this work, I tried to redefine some of the key values of our home and through this, satirized ridiculous social phenomena.
(The text is provided by the student)
一樣米養「異」樣人
人和字,頗為相似:同一根源,往往造就出千百萬種可能性。
本作品由「家」字出發,選取部首為「宀」、或其他符合主題的的中文字,去改造成不同的、異樣的新字。新字大都是光怪陸離,感覺突兀,突顯了作品主題中的「異」。
作品的靈感來自2014年於香港發生爭取真普選的雨傘運動。運動雖然展現了香港人的團結、和平本性,卻同時暴露社會前所未有的陰暗面 — 來自官方的抹黑和分化。這一切都令視香港為家的我們不寒而懍。
本作品旨在透過一個又一個的改造字,去重新定義一些有關我們的家—香港—的核心價值,並藉以諷刺社會上的種種怪象。
(本文由學生提供)