The Nightmare Series

A series of six pen drawings and digital prints titled "Nightmare" was selected for the School of Visual Arts graduation exhibition in 2016, as well as showcased at Wynwood Gallery during Miami Art Basel and Our Gallery in Hong Kong in 2018. Heavily influenced by the German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer, I emulated his iconic woodcut techniques, employing strong, straight lines and intricate cross-hatching.

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These six pen drawings vividly depict the nightmares I experienced during a challenging period of depression, featuring disturbing themes such as bloody carnage, grotesque sexuality, and other morbid imagery. Some compositions are directly inspired by dream sequences, like the old woman conveniently ordering soda in "Nightmare Series #2," while others draw from my emotional response to the nightmarish environment, utilizing metaphors to convey appropriate visuals.

Three of the drawings portray a muscular man devoid of skin, a character symbolizing the profound sense of crisis I faced during my illness, living under the oppressive shadows of fear and mortality. Throughout the creation of this series, I developed a fascination with the sublime. This concept, originating from the first-century Greek rhetorician Longinus in "On the Sublime," describes the complex pleasure we derive from experiencing magnificent natural landscapes. It highlights that while the overwhelming power of nature can evoke fear and despair, it is precisely this sublime quality that elicits a profound sense of enjoyment.

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The notion of the sublime has become an essential aesthetic principle in Western art and literature. Engaging in the creation of dark or violent art has provided me with both a thrill and an immersive experience. This series serves not only as a reflection on my own psychological struggles but also as a beacon of hope for viewers who may be lost or suffering, inviting them to find resonance within these haunting yet evocative images.