ORANGE LI
NEW YORK, u.s.a.
artist
“ In the beginning of this year, I heard that the Coronavirus was spreading throughout many countries, but I didn't pay much attention until the end of March. Things got worse and I was asked to stay at home. I started the “new normal” of my life.
Orange Li, Separation (隔離), 2020.
若碰觸那看不見的火焰，我們都將燒之殆盡。
因此開始了彼此的隔離。
才發現原來隔離的不只是和他人，也是和我自己。
在絕望裡，天人交戰的痛苦分裂成黑白善惡的自己。
即使在最深的黑暗裡，我看見了生命整體裡的所有個體......
The invisible flame will burn out if it touches others, so we started to isolate ourselves.
I realized it was not only separating from others, but also from myself.
In despair, the pain of the war between man and nature splits into black and white, good and evil inside of myself.
In the deepest darkness, I saw the individuals as the whole…
截至今日4/24/2020
紐約確診人數257,246，死亡人數達15,302
紐澤西確診人數95965，死亡人數高達5063
後來我所幸不再去觀察這些數字，因為會讓我太過焦慮。
我盯著窗外並待在家裡，像是一隻被囚禁的小鳥，一直有想往外飛的念頭。但看著手機裡死亡人數的提醒，又只好打消念頭。
幾天前，我到店裡的買秤寄貨包裹的機器，店裡有個客人沒有帶口罩，被收銀員請了出去。
他說：現在在商店裡沒有帶口罩是會被罰款的。
出門一定要帶口罩，
保持6 feet的社交距離也是最基本的。
而我也盡量待在家不出門，只有一到兩個禮拜出門採買食物，這成了我的新生活。
4/24/2020
New York has 257,246 cases and 15,302 deaths as of today.
New Jersey confirmed the number of cases, 95,965, the death toll was as high as 5063.
Fortunately, I no longer look at these numbers because it would make me too anxious.
I stared out the window and stayed at home, like a bird in captivity, I always wanted to fly out, but looking at the reminder of the death toll on the phone, I had to dismiss the thought.
A few days ago, I needed to buy a scale for shipping packages from home. There was a customer in the store who didn't wear a mask. The cashier asked him to leave.
He said: Now there is a fine for not wearing a mask in stores.
You must wear a mask when you go out,
Maintaining a social distance of 6 feet is also required.
I try to stay at home as much as possible, I only go out every 1-2 times a week to buy food.
This is my new life.
「希望山林」
我們將掙脫那黑暗，
最終我們將如蝴蝶一樣展翅飛翔，沐浴在陽光和星空下。
我們心中的種子將開出一整片希望的山林。
Journey of Hope
We will all break free from this darkness,
Eventually we will spread the wings of the butterfly and bathe in the sun and stars.
The seeds in our hearts will open up a whole mountain of hope.
「我的腦海裡」
我望向窗外，看著雲朵飄移著，看著烈陽閃爍著。
啊，春天是花開的季節。
我每年在這個時刻，總喜歡到華盛頓廣場欣賞那白色、粉紅的櫻花樹。今年我還有機會看到嗎？
聽說所有公園都封閉起來了。
我們也許無法往外走，但我們能往內在思想走去...並開始轉變自己。
有天，我做了一個夢，
開始纏繞自己進入蛹裡。
一開始我懼怕這樣的分離，
但我也漸漸的習慣了這樣的黑暗,
並在這靜默中深深的睡著了。
我掙脫了那鍍金的籠子，開始翱翔在山林水秀的美景。並沿著心中的那塊藏寶圖...持續尋覓那萬物合一，無窮無盡的真理。
Inside of my Mind
I looked out the window and watched the clouds drift past. Watching the blazing sun flash.
Ah, spring is the season for flowers to bloom.
I always like to go to Washington Square to admire the white and pink cherry trees at this time of year. Do I still have a chance to see them this year?
I heard that all the parks are closed.
We can’t go out, but we can go inside of our minds... and begin the transformation…
One day, I had a dream,
I started to wrap myself in a cocoon.
At first I was afraid of such isolation,
but I gradually got used to this darkness,
and fell asleep deeply in this silence.
I broke free of the gilded cage and started to soar in the beautiful scenery of the mountains and forests. I followed the treasure map in my heart ... continuing to search for the oneness of all things, the endless truth.
The Bridge to the Sesame Bun
“Water droplets are the tears in my heart, through the winding life of black ink... We might have experienced many hardships and frustrations, but don’t forget, there is a small bridge in your heart that can always bring you back to the most genuine and innocent sweetness. The golden light will also bloom in the deepest part of the darkness!”
In the morning, I ate some Taiwanese sesame buns that I bought in the Asian American supermarket. The first bite reminded me of a bun shop near my old home in Taiwan. My grandpa and grandma used to buy white buns with a glass of milk for breakfast, and occasionally they bought sesame buns. The memories with the buns and my grandparents have always been special to me.
When I eat them, I tear the skin of the small bun by hand as I did when I was young, and bite little by little... Suddenly tears started pouring down my face... Many memories are like a fountain that is turned on and pours stories out. This painting came from those memories.
I think maybe this is the taste of home... 🏠
「水滴是內心的眼淚，穿越了黑色墨水的蜿蜒曲折人生....經歷了許多困難挫折的苦澀，但別忘了，在你內心中有一個小橋隨時能讓你回到那最初和最純真的甜。那金光也將在黑暗的最深處綻放！」
早上蒸了我特別在美國亞洲超市買的台灣芝麻包來吃。吃的第一口讓我回想起小時候家附近的一間包子饅頭店。外公外婆都會習慣買一個白饅頭配一杯牛奶給我當早餐，偶爾是吃芝麻包。這對我一直都是特別的回憶。
所以我習慣性的像小時候那樣用手撕一小角包子的外皮，一小口一小口吃。吃著吃著...突然眼淚就流了下來... 很多回憶像噴泉湧了上來。
而這幅畫就是來自這些回憶。
我想也許這就是家的味道吧...
「最深層的愛」
未來是否如此變化莫測？
似乎沒有什麼是能確定的。
在死亡的面前，我選擇愛。
我選擇深入那最深層的愛。
一個愛到不分彼此，你我將合而為一的愛。
The Deepest Love
Is the future unpredictable?
Nothing seems to be certain.
In the face of death, I choose love.
A love that does not distinguish between you and I.
「成爲那顆星星」
當我開始進入心靈的第一場試煉。
我流下許多的淚水，當時感覺世界似乎就要崩塌...我的心彷彿被撕裂了一樣。當畫下黑色的墨水線條，我也如同活過一次次無止境的黑暗時刻。我大聲的哭泣著。
最後我在那些最黑暗的深處點上了金黃色...我的心甦醒了...在那層層交疊、讓人無法呼吸的痛苦中，我看見了閃耀的光芒。
那是希望。
即使在絕望裡，也不要放棄希望。
你將會看見那所有的寶藏就在轉角處。
而那些曾經流過的眼淚將鋪成通往星星的道路...
Becoming the Star
When I started the first trial of the mind.
I shed a lot of tears when I felt like the world was about to collapse... my heart seemed to be torn apart. When drawing black ink lines, I also lived through the endless dark moments again and again. I was crying loudly.
In the end, I spotted the golden yellow in those darkest depths... My heart also started to awaken. I saw a shining light in the pain that overlapped and made people breathless.
There is hope.
Even in despair, don't give up, you will see all the treasures just around the corner. Those tears that once shed will pave the way to the stars…
「內在藏寶圖」
當我畫這件作品時，我彷彿經歷了所有人生的起落。
當時因為在家中壓力大到難以承受，總擔心今天就是人生的最後一天。
所以我就這樣沿著藏寶圖持續的尋覓。看見當時懷抱夢想來到美國拼搏的自己，流下所有不為人知的艱辛和淚水。
建成了一格格螺旋的階梯在體內，轉化成我的DNA…
我看見所有的痛苦和喜悅。苦中作樂的自己，便乘著熱氣球飛翔在內心寬廣的世界裡！在那，我看見如珍珠般純真的自己，也似乎回到了我最初的故鄉-一個環海環山的小島，才發現那裡是真正的人間仙境。
Inner Treasure Map
When I painted this work, I seemed to have experienced all the ups and downs of life.
Because the pressure at home was so unbearable at that time, I always worried that today would be the last day of my life.
In this way, I continued to search along the treasure map and saw myself struggling with dreams to come to the United States and shed all the unknown hardships and tears.
A spiral ladder was built in the body and it transformed into my DNA...
I saw all the pain and joy. The hard-working self will fly in a hot air balloon in a world with a wide heart! There I saw myself as pure as a pearl. I also seemed to have returned to my original hometown-a small island surrounded by sea and mountains, only to find that there is a real wonderland on Earth.
Because of the COVID-19, I started to ask myself, ‘If today is my last day, what should I do?’ I really know from the bottom of my heart that this is what I want to do. I want to paint my pain and joy every moment... There is no trace of concealment, it is a complete confession in the painting.