My work uses painting to explore the intimate relationship and emotional bond between humans and companion animals. It also reflects the connection between human's animality and animal's humanity. I use images of my dog Steamed Bun, the domestic environment and a series of symbolic objects as elements to reflect the sense of love, security, mutual dependence, preciousness, fragility, anxiety, fear of loss and the eventual acceptance of parting and death. In modern society, especially in the Chinese context, the demand for companion animals has increased dramatically due to a series of reasons, including the previous one-child policy, the current ageing of the population and the rise in living standards. Pets have become the spiritual, psychological and emotional support for a large part of the community. In contrast, some parts of Chinese society have lower tolerance for companion animals and even working animals such as guide dogs. The lack of comprehensive animal protection laws has led to a growing conflict between the pet-owning and non-pet-owning communities. Based on this context, I have documented a series of intimate moments in my life with my dog through the artistic medium of painting to reflect a broader conceptual idea in relation to the special emotional bond between people and their pets. The interaction between my dog and me, the domestic space, furniture, bright colours and the flat and stylised way I paint are key elements in my creative process. By integrating these elements I aim to create a secure, cozy and warm atmosphere. In some of the paintings I have consciously used anthropomorphism to represent the animal, thus metaphorically reflecting the contrast between animal's humanity and human's animality.

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Intimate Relationship #1, 2021  
acrylic on canvas  
800 x 800 x 30 mm

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Intimate Relationship #1, 2021  
acrylic on canvas  
800 x 800 x 30 mm

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Intimate Relationship #2, 2021  
acrylic on canvas  
600 x 600 x 20 mm

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Intimate Relationship #2, 2021  
acrylic on canvas  
600 x 600 x 20 mm

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Intimate Relationship #3, 2021  
acrylic on canvas  
800 x 800 x 30 mm

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Intimate Relationship #3, 2021  
acrylic on canvas  
800 x 800 x 30 mm

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Intimate Relationship #1, 2021  
acrylic on canvas  
800 x 800 x 30 mm

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Intimate Relationship #2, 2021  
acrylic on canvas  
600 x 600 x 20 mm

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