The World after 1989 ‧ 1989年後世事掠影

The World after 1989

2012-2017 / Total: 27 paintings (three pieces painted before 2012), 20 woodcut prints (one piece made in 2010), one cartoon and one banner portrait on cloth / Exhibition: not scheduled yet/ Catalogue: The World after 1989

In world history, the year 1989 is a watershed dividing two eras. It was not merely the year of the biggest ever pro-democracy movement in China. To a great extent, what happened in that year changed the course of history in many parts of the world.
It was the original intention of the artist to end this series in 2014 and name it “The World in the 25 Years after 1989”, before the whole plan was finally revised and renamed as “The World after 1989”. In his initial plan, though Hong Kong would be given more emphasis, there could only be just a few pieces. However, with some later developments after the 2014 Umbrella Movement warranting documentation, the number of pieces about Hong Kong has increased to a quite disproportional extent. They are now all grouped into this series. In addition, some pieces related to the theme of this project are also included.

1989年後世事掠影

2012-2017 / 作品: 水墨27 張 (其中三張是2012年之前的作品), 20 張木刻 (其中一張在 2010年製作), 漫畫一款及布本畫像一幅 / 展覽: 等待展場/ 目錄: 《1989年後世事掠影》

1989年是世界歷史的一個分水嶺，不僅是因為中國在這一年爆發了有史以來規模最大的民主運動，還因為很多其他國家也在這一年出現了翻天覆地的巨變，改寫了歷史的進程。
這個系列原初的設想是由1989年起，至2014年止，因此原題為「1989後的廿五年世事」。之後，計劃重訂，改題為「1989年後世事掠影」。按原初的計劃，雖然這個系列會較偏重香港，但也只會是三數件作品。然而，其後加上了2014年香港雨傘運動之後接續的事態，香港這部份的作品數量增至有點不成比例。在這系列内，香港部份就集中當作一個單元。此外，幾件與這個計劃題旨相關的作品也在此附列。

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Cover image
Details of the Goddess (see descriptions in project gallery)

Project gallery
1. The Goddess 女神
2011, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, 178 x 96 cm
A statue known as the Goddess of Democracy was created by students in Beijing and placed at Tiananmen Square during the 1989 pro-democracy movement.
1989年民主運動期間，北京學生塑製了民主女神巨像，立在天安門廣場。

2. The Wall 圍牆
2012, woodcut 木刻, 61 x 91.5 cm
Communist dictatorships ended in Europe with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989-90.
1989-90年, 隨着柏林圍牆崩塌，共黨專政在歐洲結束。

3. The Eventual Bow-out 落幕
2012, woodcut 木刻, 61 x 91.5 cm
Mikhail Gorbachev vanished from politics with the end of the USSR in December 1991.
戈爾巴喬夫的政治生涯與蘇聯在1991年底同時終結。

4. Taboo 禁忌
2014, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, 157 x 96 cm
After the 1989 crackdown, even the mere mentioning of “June 4” has become a taboo in mainland China.
六四鎭壓之後的中國大陸，連「六四」一詞也成了說不得的禁忌。

5. A Tiananmen Mother 天安門母親
2014, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, 114 x 69 cm
The son of Ding Zilin, an assistant professor in a Beijing university, was killed in the June 4 crackdown.
丁子霖原任教於北京人民大學，她十七歲的兒子死於六四鎮壓。

6. A Banner Portrait 布本畫像
2009, red and white enamel paint on black cloth 油漆及黑布, portrait 200 x 142 cm
Campaigning for constitutional democracy, Liu Xiaobo, a prominent Chinese writer, was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment. [He then became a Noble Peace Prize winner.]
中國作家劉曉波呼籲建立民主憲政，被判囚十一年。[之後他獲得諾貝爾和平獎。]
[Liu Xiaobo was sentenced on 25 December 2009 to 11 years’ imprisonment for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ by a Beijing court for drafting and signing the Charter 08, a manifesto for constitutional reform in China, and writing other commentaries. On the following new year’s day, in a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong, people took to the streets to call for the introduction of genuine universal suffrage and the immediate release of Liu. The banner portrait was painted for this occasion.]
[劉曉波因參與起草和聯署呼籲中國進行憲政改革的《08憲章》及撰寫評論文章，被北京當局指為「煽動顛覆國家政權」，於2009年12月25日判囚十一年。一星期後的香港元旦大遊行，市民上街爭取真普選並要求立即釋放劉曉波。畫像是為此次遊行而繪製。］

7. Sunflower 太陽花
2014, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, 130 x 84 cm
The 2014 Sunflower Protest profoundly reshaped the Pan-Blue versus Pan-Green politics of Taiwan.
2014年的太陽花學運給台灣藍綠两營角力的政局帶來重大的轉折。

8. The OC Trio 佔中三子
2014, woodcut 木刻, 66 x 100 cm
The three activists calling for a protest movement of civil disobedience named Occupy Central to fight for real democracy in Hong Kong: (from left to right) Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, Professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting and Professor Chan Kin-man. They were known as “the OC Trio”.
[This woodcut print was made in early 2014, before the outbreak of the Occupation, with the quoted words provided by the Trio.]
三位倡議者提出以公民抗命的方式佔領中環，爭取香港實現真民主和真普選：（左起）朱耀明牧師、戴耀庭教授、陳健民教授，人稱「佔中三子」。
[這張版畫在2014 年初製作，佔領運動稍後在九月爆發。圖中刻錄的文字由三子提供。]

9. The Big Stage: A Whole Month 大台：满月
2016, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, 179 x 97 cm
On the day to commemorate one month of the 2014 Occupation in Hong Kong, a rally was held in Admiralty.
2014 年香港佔領運動满月之日，金鐘佔領區舉行集會，黄傘高撑。

10. Living Online 網上世界
2013, woodcut 木刻, 61 x 91.5 cm
We are now living online. Globally, there are billions of Internet users.
今日，全球使用互聯網的人數早已超過十億。

11. The Great Firewall 火牆
2013, woodcut 木刻, 61 x 91.5 cm
The most draconian system of censorship and control is imposed in mainland China.
中國大陸對互聯網實行最嚴苛的審查和管制。