Days of Dementia

Moving from Hong Kong to Canada has proven to be challenging, not only because of the Covid 19 with its regulations imposed on returning citizens but with me adapting to an environment that greatly contrasts a place I had grown completely accustomed to. As much as one can mentally prepare for a move to a new place after being away from my hometown province for 32 years, nothing could prepare me for the mental and psychological challenge of facing my mother with symptoms of dementia in the form of memory loss and paranoia.

As art has in the past been an outlet for emotional release, in particular, the time when I was bitten by a dog several years ago, I decided it was best for me to draw and document my feelings in whatever shape or form. I kept envisioning something in charcoal, a medium that lends itself well for texture and grittiness. I could get my hands dirty and feel the material grab onto the surface. I found a very good art supply store and bought several pads of inexpensive manilla coloured paper, ideal for testing and experimenting.

The circle or sphere became my foundation to which I could work on a daily basis — quick sketches that could be completed in a short time. I would not limit what happened inside the sphere, but let my finger draw whatever it wanted to do. Sometimes, the forms appeared like the splitting of cells meanwhile others were more like round geometric orbs.

This is an ongoing exercise so I will see where this takes me.

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