Journey to the East

Journey to the East, 2023
Oil on linen
20cm x 20cm
[In Private Collection]

Journey to the West is a 16th century Chinese novel recounting the travels of Buddhist monk Xuanzang to the West. The West was India for the Chinese monk. It is a fantastic story with famous figures like Monkey King and other characters going through all kinds of adventures.

My own journey went from West to East, from Europe to China, Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, Tibet, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam for more than 30 years. A voyage in space and time. It moved from art to philosophy to literature to language to society to anthropology. Geopolitics is about big powers competing with big powers. I am more interested in why humans submit to others. Big powers can only become what they are because huge numbers of people subject themselves to the other.

I have enjoyed a life full of fun and adventure and excitement, as well as some lonely hard times. Journey to the East symbolizes my travels.

The East pulled me again and again. The more time I spent there, the more I wanted to explore. My journey to the East will never stop.