[III] We will meet again
By Xiaoming Zhang (Dechen Drolma)
Xiaoming Zhang (Dechen Drolma) is the founder of W. Ming Art, a private art advisory and consulting company founded in 2010. It represents artists for exhibitions and sales, and provides private sales and art advisory services for private and institutional clients globally. Zhang is a key figure in promoting Asian modern and contemporary art to the World. She and her team are committed to strengthening art value for international clients and in the field. Zhang's responsibilities also include helping artists create the global market. See the complete introductions of Xiaoming Zhang (Dechen Drolma) and W. Ming Art here.
Zhang’s article is a contemplation on different times and lives during the coronavirus outbreak in Shanghai and New York. Her words transform people’s daily life into a series of classic paintings. Each painting depicts one present moment she lived in the past months, from her parents’ Spring garden in Shanghai to the empty streets in New York City.
Global Lockdown – We are all in this together
I landed in Shanghai from Hong Kong on January 23, 2020 in time to spend the Chinese New Year (January 25, 2020) with family. My arrival in China coincided with the beginning of the national lockdown in China. Since then, I have experienced three phrases of quarantine, all self-isolations I consider to be precious and unique, moments for us to develop inner peace and to reflect.
Shanghai Spring Blossoms – Appreciating families with love
My Shanghai quarantine lasted for almost 17 days at home. It was a time for the traditional Chinese New Year with a celebration cycle of 15 days until the first lunar festival. Being with family, time was short. This time, I felt that I returned back to my childhood. Time was no longer linear; it came and went so quickly. I spent time with my elder parents in our holiday celebration home in the French concession on Hengshan Road. The streets were emptier than those in New York even now. I appreciate every moment spent with my parents, who are in their 80s. They were strong, active and compassionate. It was a time that I gave back to my elderly parents with love and care as they cared for me in previous years. Like a little girl, I still have secrets and new learning to share with my parents. Now my elder parents are my children. We learn to be tender with one another, making and taking our daily meals together. Our daily routine is simple and humble, our meals also turned into more vegetarian ones. Each afternoon, I would take my parents to our garden where it was filled with plum blossoms. Under the plum blossoms, I invited my parents to breathe the sweet fragrance, enjoy the flowers and look in the sky filled with flowing clouds and moving light.
Plum Blossoms in Shanghai, February, 2020. Photo: Xiaoming Zhang (Dechen Drolma)
New York City – Awakening with Spring