Sophia Zhao

Cherrybrook Technology High School

BLUE HOMAGE (QING CHU YU LAN)

Drawing

Ballpoint pen on Stonehenge paper

Only when memory and cultural lineage intertwine can the scars of survival from famine and war in Maoist China ripple across generations, forging a love at once unyielding and redemptive. I studied the Chinese idiom 'Qing Chu Yu Lan' ('the colour blue is derived from indigo yet is brighter than indigo') to honour my grandparents. They were the 'indigo' whose sacrifices were the start of our family's upward mobility. The humble ballpoint pen conveys their modesty. Within the vivid, blue chiaroscuro, I represent their unwavering love as an anchor that grounds me in the 'vivid blue' of my family's development.

My artmaking practice is influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Oscar Ukonu, Ibe Ananaba, Robin Hilthouse.