Broken hairy leg
Soft sculpture
2021
Nieuw en Meer, Amsterdam
The fictional stories that exist in our minds, such as fantasies and dreams, often correspond to those unfulfilled wishes in reality, and 'immersive daydreaming' this psychological phenomenon is a sort of automatic compensation for this regret. Immersed in the fantasy world is the continuation of childhood games and the elimination of tension. Just like a stream of consciousness novel, the dreamer observes the self, splits different parts of the self into invented characters, then places them on the same stage as separate individuals in the story. The content of these fantasies is concrete and narrative, following another operating logic from reality, but the development of the plots is influenced by real life.
During the residency in Nieuw en Meer in Amsterdam(Apr-Jun 2021), I created a fictional story- 'A Murder Case'. I used the combination of painting and text to explore how to express the narrative coherently. The story takes two strange rabbits dressed girlish as the protagonists; they are two heinous killers living in the uninhabited lakeside community. One day they found a broken hairy leg, then the bad rabbits started to play the role of justice and looked for the real murderer. As I see, this kind of contrast and conflict does not only exist in fantasy stories but an actual reality that makes people feel powerless. Therefore, I tried to create a dream where reality and fantasy overlap to make the game of childhood continue in the adult world so that the actual pain and repressed desire could be released or compensated. When the audience is invited into this absurd story, the echoes of bunny ears, chainsaws and lake water will also evoke their daydreaming.
存在于我们心中的虚构故事，如幻想和梦境，通常对应于现实中那些未实现的愿望，“沉浸式白日梦”这种心理现象则是对这种遗憾的一种自动补偿。沉浸在幻想世界中是对童年游戏的延续，是紧张的消解。就像意识流小说一样，梦想者观察自我，将自己的不同部分分裂为虚构的角色，然后将它们放置在故事中的单独个体舞台上。这些幻想的内容是具体的、叙事的，遵循着与现实不同的另一种运作逻辑，但情节的发展受到现实生活的影响。
在阿姆斯特丹的Nieuw en Meer度过的艺术驻地期间（2021年4月至6月），我创作了一个虚构的故事——《一起谋杀案》。我使用绘画和文本的结合来探索如何连贯地表达叙事。故事以两只装扮得像女孩的奇怪兔子为主角；它们是生活在无人居住的湖畔社区的两个凶残的杀手。有一天，它们发现了一只断掉的毛腿，然后这两只坏兔子开始扮演正义的角色，寻找真正的凶手。在我看来，这种对比和冲突不仅存在于幻想故事中，而且是一种让人感到无助的实际现实。因此，我试图创造一个现实和幻想交织的梦境，使童年的游戏在成年世界中延续，以便释放或弥补实际的痛苦和压抑的欲望。当观众被邀请进入这个荒谬的故事时，兔耳、链锯和湖水的回响也会唤起他们的白日梦。
#1
2021
60*80cm
Oil on canvas
1.
The pink rabbit and the blue rabbit were a combo of killers living in a lakeside community. They both wore lovely double ponytails and sailor suits, as they see that was what macho rabbits should look like. The pink rabbit was shy and blushed when talking to strangers, his favourite thing to do was to run naked late at night. The blue rabbit seemed to be a reliable big brother, but truth be told, his temper was really bad. He had a chainsaw, and he would cut all the people who made him angry into pieces.
The pink rabbit and the blue rabbit were a combo of killers living in a lakeside community. They both wore lovely double ponytails and sailor suits, as they see that was what macho rabbits should look like. The pink rabbit was shy and blushed when talking to strangers, his favourite thing to do was to run naked late at night. The blue rabbit seemed to be a reliable big brother, but truth be told, his temper was really bad. He had a chainsaw, and he would cut all the people who made him angry into pieces.
#2 (right)
2021
100*100cm
Oil on canvas
#3 (left)
2021
70*100cm
Oil on canvas
2021
100*100cm
Oil on canvas
#3 (left)
2021
70*100cm
Oil on canvas
2.
In an early morning, two rabbits found a broken hairy leg in the bushes by the lake. They were surprised because the whole community had already been killed by them. There was no one else left here, yet how could a human leg appear?
"I cannot allow this beautiful land to be polluted by sin. We must find out the truth!" The blue rabbit said angrily: "It’s a murder case!"
"Yes!" The pink rabbit shrieked in agreement: "A mother kiss!"
In an early morning, two rabbits found a broken hairy leg in the bushes by the lake. They were surprised because the whole community had already been killed by them. There was no one else left here, yet how could a human leg appear?
"I cannot allow this beautiful land to be polluted by sin. We must find out the truth!" The blue rabbit said angrily: "It’s a murder case!"
"Yes!" The pink rabbit shrieked in agreement: "A mother kiss!"
3.
"But how do we find the murderer?" Said the pink rabbit doubtfully, "We only know how to kill."
"I don't know." The blue rabbit was also puzzled, but he said, "Perhaps we should look for some clues nearby."
So the blue rabbit took the magnifying glass and the pink rabbit took the picnic box and they started their investigation. They found drag marks in the bushes, which stretched from the soil to the road, then to the beach, and finally disappeared into the water.
“It seems that the murderer did the crime in the grass before dragging the rest of the body into the lake." The blue rabbit thought out aloud, “But why did the murderer leave the leg there?"
The pink rabbit gnawed on the chicken legs and said, " Maybe it's because the murderer didn't think the hairy legs tasted good.”
"But how do we find the murderer?" Said the pink rabbit doubtfully, "We only know how to kill."
"I don't know." The blue rabbit was also puzzled, but he said, "Perhaps we should look for some clues nearby."
So the blue rabbit took the magnifying glass and the pink rabbit took the picnic box and they started their investigation. They found drag marks in the bushes, which stretched from the soil to the road, then to the beach, and finally disappeared into the water.
“It seems that the murderer did the crime in the grass before dragging the rest of the body into the lake." The blue rabbit thought out aloud, “But why did the murderer leave the leg there?"
The pink rabbit gnawed on the chicken legs and said, " Maybe it's because the murderer didn't think the hairy legs tasted good.”
#4
2021
100*120cm
Oil on canvas
2021
100*120cm
Oil on canvas
4.
The blue rabbit proposed to keep watch at night, he guessed that the murderer would come back here again. The pink rabbit agreed, so they set up roadblocks on the routes out of the community.
It was cold by the lake at night, the blue rabbit lit a cigarette, and the pink rabbit ate his chocolate bar. Instead of the murderer, a pack of cats appeared.
“ Maybe the cats knew something." The pink rabbit squatted down and said to a cow cat: "Meow meow?"
The cow cat: "Meow~."
"What did it say?" asked the blue rabbit.
"I don't know.” The pink rabbit said puzzled, “How can I understand cat words?"
The blue rabbit proposed to keep watch at night, he guessed that the murderer would come back here again. The pink rabbit agreed, so they set up roadblocks on the routes out of the community.
It was cold by the lake at night, the blue rabbit lit a cigarette, and the pink rabbit ate his chocolate bar. Instead of the murderer, a pack of cats appeared.
“ Maybe the cats knew something." The pink rabbit squatted down and said to a cow cat: "Meow meow?"
The cow cat: "Meow~."
"What did it say?" asked the blue rabbit.
"I don't know.” The pink rabbit said puzzled, “How can I understand cat words?"
#5
2021
100*120cm
Oil on canvas
2021
100*120cm
Oil on canvas
5.
The pink rabbit dreamt that a red fox was stealing in the community, but there were no more other residents, so no one noticed this.
The fox carried his big bag, swaggering away.
The pink rabbit woke up, heard the blue rabbit saying, "Officer Buffalo is here."
Officer Buffalo dressed in purple uniforms, asked if they had ever seen a red fox. She described him as “a notorious thief”.
"No." Rabbits answered, "But we have found a hairy leg, and we suspect that a murder case happened here."
“A murder case?” Officer Buffalo shrugged, “I'm not in charge of this.”
The pink rabbit dreamt that a red fox was stealing in the community, but there were no more other residents, so no one noticed this.
The fox carried his big bag, swaggering away.
The pink rabbit woke up, heard the blue rabbit saying, "Officer Buffalo is here."
Officer Buffalo dressed in purple uniforms, asked if they had ever seen a red fox. She described him as “a notorious thief”.
"No." Rabbits answered, "But we have found a hairy leg, and we suspect that a murder case happened here."
“A murder case?” Officer Buffalo shrugged, “I'm not in charge of this.”
6.
Officer Buffalo was chasing the red fox by the lake. She pulled out the gun and shouted, "Stop!"
But the fox ran so fast that he climbed over the wire fence with a jump.
They looked at each other through the grids, the fox said, “Someone is dead, but it's a pity that I am not the murderer. The rabbits are lying, you should go check on them."
Officer Buffalo held the gun: "I don't care who is dead, I just want to catch you."
The fox laughed, "Then you may not get your wish. See ya."
"I'll get you." Officer Buffalo stared at his back and said to herself: "Next time, I swear."
Officer Buffalo was chasing the red fox by the lake. She pulled out the gun and shouted, "Stop!"
But the fox ran so fast that he climbed over the wire fence with a jump.
They looked at each other through the grids, the fox said, “Someone is dead, but it's a pity that I am not the murderer. The rabbits are lying, you should go check on them."
Officer Buffalo held the gun: "I don't care who is dead, I just want to catch you."
The fox laughed, "Then you may not get your wish. See ya."
"I'll get you." Officer Buffalo stared at his back and said to herself: "Next time, I swear."
#6
2021
100*100cm
Oil on canvas
2021
100*100cm
Oil on canvas
#7
2021
70*100cm
Oil on canvas
7.
Rabbits followed the track to the big lake, then they decided to take a look in the water. The blue rabbit was soaking in the water, with only his head visible. He looked at the yachts moored on the opposite bank through binoculars. The pink rabbit stood on his head, holding a firework tube and pretending to observe.
"What are you doing?" The blue rabbit asked.
"Looking for clues." The pink rabbit replied, then he set off the firework, colourful paper flakes spurted out at an instant, floating in the air, which was gorgeous.
2021
70*100cm
Oil on canvas
7.
Rabbits followed the track to the big lake, then they decided to take a look in the water. The blue rabbit was soaking in the water, with only his head visible. He looked at the yachts moored on the opposite bank through binoculars. The pink rabbit stood on his head, holding a firework tube and pretending to observe.
"What are you doing?" The blue rabbit asked.
"Looking for clues." The pink rabbit replied, then he set off the firework, colourful paper flakes spurted out at an instant, floating in the air, which was gorgeous.
#8
2021
120*100cm
Oil on canvas
2021
120*100cm
Oil on canvas
8.
At dusk, countless dark red tentacles rolled in the black water, the sleeping monster at the deep lake was about to wake up.
9.
The rabbits finally realised that their goal was not on land.
"Bring your weapon." The blue rabbit said as he polished his chainsaw shiny, "We are going to bring world peace."
The pink rabbit picked up a knife and a fork, maybe soy sauce and wasabi as well, but he didn't know how to use soy sauce underwater. But in any case, he thought this was a rare underwater buffet, he wouldn’t stop until he was full!
Two rabbits jumped into the water and swam towards the dark depth.
Today the lakeside community was still peaceful and beautiful.
At dusk, countless dark red tentacles rolled in the black water, the sleeping monster at the deep lake was about to wake up.
9.
The rabbits finally realised that their goal was not on land.
"Bring your weapon." The blue rabbit said as he polished his chainsaw shiny, "We are going to bring world peace."
The pink rabbit picked up a knife and a fork, maybe soy sauce and wasabi as well, but he didn't know how to use soy sauce underwater. But in any case, he thought this was a rare underwater buffet, he wouldn’t stop until he was full!
Two rabbits jumped into the water and swam towards the dark depth.
Today the lakeside community was still peaceful and beautiful.
English text checked: Floor van Kesteren, Sean(Se Hyun) Ahn