At this moment, billions of people are staying at home to escape the virus. What will the world be like? How do we respond to uncertainty and change? Everyone has their own answer. Subtropical Asia’s special project, #thelockinartists#, will focus on our artist friends during this significant moment in history, presenting their observations, thoughts and suggestions, and perhaps offering inspiration.
In episode two, we interviewed Nanguazi, a spiritual artist and an internet influencer based in Beijing China. Nanguazi were traveling in Thailand during the outbreak in China. At the end of March, she decided to return to China as Thailand’s lockdown measures got stricter. China has a 14-day centralized quarantine policy for people who returning from abroad. At the time of this interview, Nanguazi has been quarantined for 11 days in a hotel on the outskirts of Shanghai
The hotel charges 50 rmb a day for meals. As a vegetarian, Nanguazi decide to cook herself in the hotel room
Subtropical Asia: What’s the positive and negative effects of this pandemic on your life?
The negative effect is that anytime and anywhere I can feel a mental tension, the body reaction has became more sensitive, I can easily paranoid that I’m infected the virus because of some small physical problems even just a tiny difference in body temperature. Also I feel scared if I see people doesn’t wear mask, or people who cough besides me.
Positive impact, I realized that people born to die, I am grateful for what we have at present, cherishing the hard-won life, more willing to experience infinite possibilities in a limited time, for instance, I want to do something for the world’s environmental problems, I wanna stand up by my own strength, wake up other people, transmit my own light to someone else, even if it is just a match.
2. How has your artistic creation adapted to the pandemic?
I have always loved to create works related to the spirituality of nature, but most of the time I was painting the beautiful things on the surface, and I was always helpless about the things that were not good around us. But now that I have changed, I need to do something! My next step is creating more works related to the environmental protection, related to the inner change of the soul, and I hope to do more public welfare sharing for environmental protection. I want to studying about biodynamic farming and city planting wanting to organize workshops for physical and mental health and skills sharing, and want to get in contact with the environmental friendly communities around the world.
3. Is art still important under the global pandemic crisis?
I think I started to admit that art is useless for the society. Before, I just wanted to prove that art is priceless and useful. Right now I consider art is still priceless and useful, but only for yourself. Art is private. When art is public, it is business. The art that our society needs is useful commercial art, which only occurs in peaceful times. We don’t need art when the society is in turmoil, but it does not prevent the development and sprout of art.
Art is a spiritual belief for me. If there are people with the same faith as you, there is a natural sense. With this belief you can also do other things, not necessarily to become a missionary. But in the things you do, the idea of this belief is also a kind of transmission.Both art and life are creating spirit.Live a good life first then let’s talk about spirituality. All the religion or belief in this world are instructing people how to live well, to live as a real human being , to have the spirit of God, and then to create.
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