Sophia Zhao
Cherrybrook Technology High School
BLUE HOMAGE (QING CHU YU LAN)
Drawing
Ballpoint pen on Stonehenge paper
Only when memory and cultural lineage intertwine can the scars of survival from famine and war in Maoist China ripple across generations, forging a love at once unyielding and redemptive. I studied the Chinese idiom 'Qing Chu Yu Lan' ('the colour blue is derived from indigo yet is brighter than indigo') to honour my grandparents. They were the 'indigo' whose sacrifices were the start of our family's upward mobility. The humble ballpoint pen conveys their modesty. Within the vivid, blue chiaroscuro, I represent their unwavering love as an anchor that grounds me in the 'vivid blue' of my family's development.
My artmaking practice is influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Oscar Ukonu, Ibe Ananaba, Robin Hilthouse.
Marker's Commentary
Blue Homage (QING CHU YU LAN) presents a sensitive investigation into intergenerational remembrance, ancestral continuity, and identity through reflections on familial experiences during Maoist China. The work explores sacrifice and resilience as enduring forces that continue to shape contemporary identity across generations. Zhao’s work thoughtfully positions familial love and endurance as foundational to cultural continuity, encouraging audiences to reflect upon the lasting influence of inherited experience and generational sacrifice.
The deliberate use of ballpoint pen reinforces themes of humility, labour, and permanence. Layered mark-making, highly refined variations of texture, and vivid blue chiaroscuro reveal a sophisticated understanding of tonal modulation and emotional atmosphere, while subtle erasure worked back into the surface refines highlights and tonal transitions with sensitivity and control. The restrained monochromatic palette symbolises continuity and transformation, unifying the composition through both technical precision and conceptual empathy.