"The world first possesses its own consciousness, and only then do we and other objects exist." This concept deeply moved me during an exceptionally accessible introductory lecture on Husserl's phenomenology. It led me to imagine a world imbued with a flowing energy beyond human reach—a world that is its own entity. Across human history, despite our collective wisdom, we remain external observers, forever unable to fully grasp it. Though there are countless personal projections and interpretations, I find myself drawn to the role of a "stepping-back human," hidden within this idea. It resonates with my own experience of climbing mountains.
I began to envision what this flow of energy might look like. Perhaps it is immense and all-encompassing, yet it moves effortlessly through the world as we perceive it. What is the order that the world creates for itself? Are the various cycles of nature glimpses into some divine mechanism? Born into this world, how should we respond and collaborate with it?
As someone "attempting to describe the world," I hold a few tools, a few strokes, and a few colors in my hands. Within this array of possibilities, how can I endeavor to capture fragments of the world's essence?
“Imagine the consciousness of the world”
116.5 x 91cm
Acrylic and oil pastel on canva
2024
“Observe the cycles within the mountains”
195x91cm
Acrylic ,oil pastel, and xuan paper on canva
2024
Time on the mountain is dramatically different from that on the plains. At sunrise, the sunlight spills over the entire mountain face, painting it an unbelievable shade of crimson. After sunset, the night is utterly dark—an impenetrable blackness that renders human eyes reliant on headlamps to navigate.
And yet, the rhythm of time in the mountains has cycled uninterrupted for tens of thousands of years. I imagine our ancestors long ago recognizing this unchanging cycle and wishing to preserve such scenes. Perhaps they framed these landscapes within the boundaries of caves, presenting them as gifts to us, their descendants.
“Breathe of plants”
60.5x50 cm
Acrylic and oil pastel on canva
2024
I attempted to depict the growth process of plants—not as a static moment, but as an ongoing motion. I wanted viewers to feel as though the plants might come alive at any moment or, upon returning the next day, notice a new sprout emerging from a corner. The image aims to transcend the idea of merely capturing a single instant, instead conveying a sense of perpetual growth and vitality.
