The artist Ma Yongqiang uses sand to draw one dense line after another on the canvas, a series he has titled Trajectory. We call it Insight。
Sand is a powerful symbol of the impermanence of life. It is constantly moving and changing, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot hold it or influence its course. It reminds us that life is fleeting and we must make the most of the time we have. Sand is also a reminder of the fragility of life. It is easy to gather and easy to impact and disappear, just as life can be taken away in an instant.
Lines, on the other hand, are a symbol of the interweaving of life and of structure and order. They can be used to create boundaries and define space, as well as to create patterns and express relationships and connections between people. The line can be used to illustrate the flow of energy and the movement of time. It reminds us that we are all connected and that the actions of individuals affect others. At the same time the thread reminds us of the complexity of life. It can be woven into intricate patterns, just as life can be full of unexpected interludes. Threads can create a sense of balance and harmony in our lives, and they can be used to remind us how to make the right choices and follow the right path.
When sand and thread are combined together, they create a powerful visual representation of life. The sand serves as a reminder of the impermanence and fragility of life, while the threads serve as a reminder of the interconnectedness and complexity of life. Together they create a powerful metaphor for life that can be used to inspire us to make the most of our limited time.
When we look up at the stars, we wonder what the meaning of life really is. In a short span of a hundred years, we are all ultimately passing through the world in a hurry, all seemingly in pursuit of happiness, but getting further and further away from it.
Everyone is destined to turn to dust at some point, from birth onwards. Even so, there are still people who spend a lot of time and energy in the pursuit of everything in the world, and fall into blind comparison, expending more and more of their bodies, while defeating the original purpose of happiness. Perhaps it is only when one is close to true death that one realises that spiritual abundance is far more valuable than material piling up. For the only thing one can take away is the spirit and faith, which is the indelible consciousness and soul.
Perhaps life is about having and losing, choosing and giving up; just as the artist expresses with sand and thread, can each viewer see himself in the work？
