The West Australian Pulse 2024

Reading, writing, ‘rithmetic, ranting, ruination… investigates the dual nature of educational environments which offer support for some students while harming others. It reflects the benefits and drawbacks of Australia’s school systems, drawing from my personal experience in education. The installation serves as a metaphor for the complexity of academic life. Externally, students present themselves confidently and flawlessly to teachers and assessors, concealing internal struggles and psychological breakdown. The artwork captures the spectrum of emotions associated with the school environment, from monotony to anguish to distortion.

你回来了(You are back) reflects the confusion and anxiety of living between two cultures. Becoming more fluent in English led to the fading of my native language, Hakka. Now, my conversations in Hakka are short and fragmented. Losing my language parallels the vanishing memories of my childhood. The shattered depiction of China Town amid an industrial urban landscape symbolises this loss and fracture. The repetition of cultural and nostalgic objects creates a sense of chaos, conveying the stress of navigating my cultural heritage and the Western lifestyle. Originally detailed with graphite pencil, I then transitioned the drawing to a large-scale, colour print.