Honoring heroes with ink

While thumbing through the recent work of Chinese contemporary artist Shu Yong, viewers will find it hard not to be awestruck. Towering mountains created in the style of traditional Chinese ink painting assumethe forms of grim human faces or a clasped fist.

Shu, an artist from central China’s Hunan province, started his anthropomorphic mountain painting series on Jan 26, shortly after the coronavirus-related pneumonia broke out in Wuhan. Since then, Shu has been creating a painting every day, drawing inspiration from touching stories happening during the day’s epidemic control.

The work is dedicated to the heroes, especially medical professionals fighting on the front lines of the battle against the epidemic, the artist said.

“Mountains symbolize strength and faith in Chinese culture. Winning the war against the epidemic involves everyone, and we need to unite with each other so as to generate great strength from solidarity,” Shu said, explaining the idea behind his creations.