| All of what I just mentioned, my education and life have inspired me, and made me who I am today. These experiences are enriching, and inspiration, for me, is the reaction to chaos. You observe, you express, you ask, you answer. It’s like a dialogue with yourself. Your feelings and thoughts find their own way into your work. I decided, from June 26, 2005 to June 26, 2006, to make a small painting every day. It’s like a retrospective, some kind of self-hypnosis, or a way to file away memories. The process calms me down, helps me deal with my emotions and uneasiness, and satisfies my imagination. | 
|
Catherine Y. Hsieh talks to Song Kun, a Beijing-based artist.
Song Kun, Itââ¬â¢s My Life, 2005-2006. Oil on canvas, 27 x 35 cm. Courtesy of Boers-Li Gallery.
Catherine Y. Hsieh: Your solo exhibition in 2006 titled It’s My Life, which showcased 366 pieces of work, named after the specific dates on which they were created. What was the inspiration?
Song Kun: This bizarre world, my 80s, 90s, and 00s, the East, the West, the country merging with the city, materialism, celebrity culture, traditionalism, modernism, and post-modernism. (China is indeed a very good example of the most post-modern and the most deconstructed.) All of what I just mentioned, my education and life have inspired me, and made me who I am today. These experiences are enriching, and inspiration, for me, is the reaction to chaos. You observe, you express, you ask, you answer. It’s like a dialogue with yourself. Your feelings and thoughts find their own way into your work. I decided, from June 26, 2005 to June 26, 2006, to make a small painting every day. It’s like a retrospective, some kind of self-hypnosis, or a way to file away memories. The process calms me down, helps me deal with my emotions and uneasiness, and satisfies my imagination. I felt so content every night I went to sleep. One year passed. 366 pieces of work, including the days on which I didn’t paint, which were represented by pieces of blank paper, were showcased together in one exhibition. And it’s the blank pieces that I find the most enticing.
