Since the epidemic spread in Shencheng for more than a month, Chu Yi, an associate professor at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts at Shanghai University, has attracted a lot of attention for his almost daily series of literature and paintings. Most of the paintings are daily food, remembering the mood of isolating at home these days, and sometimes even a small poem. Professor Lin Lecheng of the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University commented on this series of essays and paintings, which made people feel the extraordinary heart of the extraordinary time, and felt the light and warmth brought by the artistic spirit when life encountered challenges and life was lacking in abundance.
Let's listen to Chu Yi's self-statement -
Chu Yi quarantines daily rituals
In the closure and isolation of the epidemic in Shanghai, we teachers and students of Shanghai University are the first batch to be centrally isolated. Our husband and wife are dual workers, so we had to settle the children in place and hurried to the school for isolation.
Quarantine on the third day
Nearly a hundred teachers and students who were not in the college or dormitory were placed in the Health Center, and a few female colleagues and I were in an empty bookstore next to it, each handing out a sleeping bag, most of them sleeping on the floor or on tables and chairs. Initially, some colleagues were depressed and pessimistic, and some students also had various problems in life and psychology. I know the importance of psychological reassurance, so I use my profession to do every ritual.
Fifth day of quarantine
I cleaned up a public space outside, found two or three vases from the old studio warehouse, picked a bouquet of flowers from the campus every day, placed a plate of snacks or fruits fed by my own or my teachers, students, friends, and sons every day, drew a small picture every day, kept a diary every day, and posted it in the circle of friends at the same time.
Seventh day of quarantine
Seeing flowers, food, and painting quietly as I sat there, my colleagues and classmates also calmed down. Sometimes they came to see me painting, and I happily chatted with them while painting, and later, an aunt who lived with me came back from a walk every morning and picked a bouquet of flowers for me from the campus.
Quarantine on the eighth day
I also often receive messages and messages from friends saying that the long-term isolation has made them extremely anxious, and my state has deeply infected them. Even one day, after I broke down and cried secretly, as soon as I picked up the pen, my body and mind became clean. Originally, painting was the best soothing for my own heart.
There are all kinds of mushrooms to taste
Later, Mr. Miso, who was isolated in another campus, began to help me sort out the pictures and paintings, and published a daily issue on our long-stalled "Sea Yunshui Mountain" public account, which received more and more attention and feedback.
Extend their age
Ten days later, the centralized quarantine ended, and we returned home to continue the home isolation. Because I was not at home for more than half a month, there were no vegetables at home, the community could not go out, and online shopping was insufficient. At this moment, the desire for vegetables is believed to be a common emotion of every family. Fortunately, after a short unsealing, I finally bought vegetables. I was overjoyed to see these fresh vegetables, and I immediately had the urge to paint the vegetables.
Have clean hands
On March 19th, I began to pick out the dishes I bought and the dishes sent by friends for sketching, spring shoots, artemisia annua, lettuce, celery, green peppers, cabbage, garlic moss, rape flowers... I drew nearly 20 pictures in a row, sometimes with feeling, and wrote a small essay, and Mr. Miso helped post it on the public account.
Light and peaceful
On April 10th, in view of the long time of this blockade, I used my own life experience to write a survival strategy to deal with the epidemic sealing, and attached nearly 30 small paintings drawn during the epidemic, which were widely read and forwarded.
Gentleman's Friend
An unknown reader left a message saying: "The article is calm and rational. There was no rhetoric, no complaints. Full of feminine pliable beauty. Under the epidemic situation, how to actively help yourself, you are concrete, refined, textbook-style, good encouragement, good operation, I forwarded it to several relatives in Shanghai, thank you! ”
Bread baked all over the house
In this epidemic, painting has given me and my friends the greatest comfort, I love painting and the expression of painting in life, it is painting that allows us to regain a kind of peace and tranquility, thus surviving a difficult period.
In the silence, let us look forward to the spread of the epidemic and reunion with friends and family.
Chu Yi "Home Isolation Works Combination"
Author: Chu Yi (Associate Professor, Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University)
Editor: Fan Xin
Editor-in-Charge: Liu Qing
*Wenhui exclusive manuscript, please indicate the source when reprinting.