Shulin Yu
Loong
Glass, Iron
43 x 23 x 21 | 34 x 22 x 17 | 33 x 20 x 16 | 38 x 27 x 18 | 32 x 25 x 17 | 29 x 21 x 18 | 35 x 27 x 21cm
Through the combination of blown glass and traditional Chinese ironwork, this series of works expresses the tension between parental expectations and children's resistance in the context of China and explores oppression and resistance in a high-pressure educational environment. The rusty iron and aluminium "dragon" cages symbolise the heavy, corrosive and irresistible expectations of the parents. At the same time, the twisted glass represents the children who are being moulded under oppression, tough on the surface but fragile on the inside. This symbolism reveals the destructive nature of the culture of "expecting one's child to be a dragon". It aims to reflect on the inner workings of education and parental control and arouse concern for freedom and respect in the parent-child relationship.
The project focuses on the core concept of "high-pressure education and individual struggle". Parents in Chinese families often control their children's development based on the standard of "success", imposing their unfulfilled aspirations on the next generation, which leads to an imbalance of power in the parent-child relationship and the loss of the individual self. By expressing the tension between oppression and resistance through art, the work questions this cultural phenomenon and attempts to re-examine the definitions of "success" and "happiness".