WUHAN, China (AP) – Scribbled instructions for patients arriving glued to the window of the quiet hospital reception desk. A lone worker in a suit of anti-scratch material, constantly spraying disinfectant in an empty hospital corridor.
These scenes from the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan – moments of fear and despair, as well as unity and resilience – are etched in the mind of artist Yang Qian.
A year later, she is channeling those memories into works of art to preserve the memory of the 76-day blockade of central China, which has changed the lives of about 11 million people. In a way, this is an extension of her work as a volunteer delivering vital supplies to hospitals and residents during the traumatic period, while reflecting the pride that many residents feel for having resisted the outbreak and draconian measures taken to control it.
“To express what I saw realistically, this is the responsibility I have given myself. I also hope that much of the story will not be forgotten, ”said Yang.
A painter by profession, she felt powerless in the face of an unknown virus that devastated her beloved hometown in January 2020. Fear washed over the city as authorities abruptly closed residents in their homes and froze transport connections on January 23. .
Two days later, she started volunteering for a group that delivered protective clothing, masks and other supplies to hospitals. Over the course of 4 months, she and a fellow volunteer delivered about 90,000 sets of protective clothing and about 450,000 face masks.
While making her rounds, she attended to requests from residents and strangers, delivering much-needed supplies, from medicine and disinfectants to food. Sleep was very valuable, as deliveries sometimes went on until the early hours of the morning.
His first post-pandemic artwork, “Reception,” came out of the experience of accompanying mother and daughter to a hospital in early February. The two developed symptoms of COVID-19 after their father died at home from the disease and, desperate, turned to social media for help.
Yang saw the post and found a hospital willing to accept the pair, but was told that an ambulance was not available.
With public transport closed, the only solution was to cycle to the hospital, with Yang in the lead.
At reception, she saw instructions for new patients randomly taped to her window, some scrawled by hand. Stretched to the maximum, hospital staff were pointing to the window instead of answering questions.
“It made me feel a kind of oppression, a kind of fear,” said Yang. “Everyone, especially doctors, is spending time just to rescue patients.”
She meticulously reproduced the scene in an oil painting, even her torn papers and scrawled notices.
A second oil painting followed, based on a photograph of a worker disinfecting the corridor of a hospital, depicted in dark shades of deep blue and black.
“It is a very serious situation (but) even in this atmosphere, there are still people who defend and protect us,” said Yang.
Soon after sending the mother and daughter to the hospital, Yang started to have a fever and cough, and feared he had the virus. In tears, she went to a hospital to get tested and started writing her will. After what she calls the longest hour of her life waiting for the results, she received the release.
A year later, Wuhan returned to normal, its streets lined with shoppers, its nightclubs pulsating until dawn, and retirees dancing to a Chinese version of a Katy Perry song along the neon-lit Yangtze River. Only the face masks that residents obediently wear provide a visual reminder of the pandemic’s impact.
“What I see is the unity of our city, of our nation. I think I am really very proud to be a Chinese, ”said Yang, expressing a widespread sentiment that was strongly encouraged by the government, which some accused of mismanaging the early stage of the outbreak and allowing it to spread throughout the world.
An exhibition she organized last year in a gallery she runs brought together 23 artists with 60 works related to the coronavirus.
His efforts were applauded by the media and Wuhan residents. The exhibition “crystallized every moving moment in the pandemic,” said businessman and friend Michael Liu.
“Unifying art and thoughts and acting is something that many of us cannot do,” he said.
Yang is currently working on an aerial view the size of a Wuhan wall under lock, with individual residents represented by dots of black ink. It is an expression of your unity to overcome the crisis, as well as an invisible pain.
She still feels this pain when talking to residents and survivors who have become depressed or have moved away from social life.
“Some people are slowly trying to recover, just to get out of that shadow. Then there are some who can’t get out, because this virus and disaster really took away those who were closest to them, ”said Yang.
For now, she is focused on making up for the pandemic’s lost time, working on her painting, managing her gallery and preparing for upcoming exhibitions. The pandemic, she said, is a reminder of how precious that time can be: “Life is really very fragile and small”.
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Associated Press religious coverage is supported by Lilly Endowment through The Conversation US. AP is solely responsible for this content.
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“One Good Thing” is a series that highlights individuals whose actions provide glimpses of joy in difficult times – stories of people who find a way to make a difference, however small. Read the story collection at https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing