MUSING

Ink drops. Watch a drop of ink flow freely, ever-changing, across the xuan paper. Each drop awaits its turn as the previous drop flows across the paper- this continues for hours.

Zentangle – finding one’s own rhythm by painting on paper slowly and repetitively. It’s like the rhythm in music, calming and natural. One can sense that each stroke has been allowed to unfold as it should, and between the slowly formed strokes one can see the heart too unfolds. The focus is transferred to the tip of the pen; Revealing one’s inner self with every stroke. 

That inner dialogue is a routine Carroll has been practising for over three years. She likes to unwind her emotions this way: being in touch with her feelings and thoughts, and connecting with her inner world to reach a certain sense of security and fulfilment.

Carroll feels that taking care of herself helps her alleviate negative emotions and improve her sense of well-being mentally and physically. She hopes in doing so, she will be able to accept and be at peace with herself, and show herself the same kindness and empathy as she does to her friends and peers.  

Carroll believes to forcefully suppress thoughts and memories will conversely increase the frequency of their occurrence- making them more persistent and lingering. One event brings more than one emotion and thought; Different thoughts bring about different emotions; They take a long time to resolve. When one is unable to deal with or tries to avoid facing their emotions it is easy to get caught in a vicious cycle. 

In the past Carroll had sought answers from the outside world, hoping for some kind of solace but had never tried to pay attention to her own inner voice, her own thoughts. After different attempts, she has learned to lead herself safely into a calm state. 

 In addition, she learned to deal with her own emotions and understand her inner state of mind. This conversation with herself has both strengthened and softened her; Learning to be in a state of stillness has opened up her mind. While realising her own insignificance she also feels an immense sense of hope.

When Carroll is going through emotional stress, she will create a comfortable environment to improve her sense of well-being. She knows that the current situation is beyond her control, so there’s little point in worrying. Instead, she will focus on creating a comfortable environment that belongs to herself- to replace any stress with a sense of well-being and security to improve her mental and physical health.

INK -- PRUDENCE

In a world where greed and deceit predominates, Carroll asks if she can still be herself. How is she to handle herself?

At this very moment she feels indignant, angry, helpless and anxious.

Using drops of ink, she goes back to her fundamentals to answer her own question. In solitude she is willing to seek and to think. As an individual what does she care most about? She confronts herself nakedly. Then she examines the relationship between herself and others, the material world, and even society. In the process Carroll slowly realises her own limitations, the bias of her perception, and the weakness in her character. She attempts to resolve these contradictions while knowing she cannot escape facing everyday life. She can, however, choose the attitude with which to deal with.

As an artist, Carroll tries to let her emotions settle in order to create. She tries her best to process and resolve her feelings during this period of time before putting them into her work. 

Lotus is considered to have gentlemanly qualities. The poet Zhou Dunyi in the Sung Dynasty wrote in his poem “On the Love for the Lotus”: “I am especially fond of lotus as it grows in mud and yet remains pure.” “Lotus, a gentleman among flowers.”

INK – RESILIENCE

The COVID 19 outbreak has not only changed our lives, it has also made us helpless in dealing with our fear and apprehension. Being under a long period of anxiety and pressure, Carroll has become vulnerable, helpless, nervous, tired and anguished. She tried to use ink drops to manage her emotions in order to get through these trying times.

She asks herself if her heart can really put up with so much? 

Drop, drop, drop…… Gradually her heart slowed down, and her breathing became long and steady. She is in no hurry to respond to the anxiety, nervousness, sorrow, anger or agitation in her thoughts. She is at ease at this moment and understands what the body needs. She uses her remaining power to sooth the pain and fatigue of the body, and acknowledge the heart’s weakness and helplessness. 

Drop, drop, drop.. The xuan paper now soaked with ink is weak. When being splashed violently with a brush soaked with alum water, the xuan paper remains unscathed, perfectly able to withstand any onslaught. At that moment her heart was comforted. It told her to stand down and be resilient enduring this difficult time.

HER HEART

As the visitor enters the exhibition they will see a wall of work. This wall leads into a small room where the real exhibition begins; Visitors are led into the heart of the artist. There is soft music in the room to let the visitors experience the calmness in the artist’s heart. Through the installation Carroll lets visitors feel what is going on in her mind in the hope that it will elicit their empathetic response. The room is her heart where visitors can freely roam. While traversing the space, they can sense the surrounding serenity. This heart room is also somewhere visitors can have a temporary respite. They can slow down their pace, wander and consider each subtly different space.

Carroll says, ‘Through “Her Heart” I am actively building a space for coexistence between the art institution, my artwork, visitors and other people involved in the project. The trees and plants outside, the urban landscape and surrounding areas, and many more! I hope that in exploring what I am sharing visitors can find some momentary respite from the chaos.’

Carroll CW Tsang is a certified Zentangle teacher. She hopes her Zentangle paintings can a provide a therapeutic escape for those who need some emotional support. 

Through the sustained control of the ratio of ink and water, the creation of symmetrical patterns and images of the lotus is formed. The lotus is symbolic of purity. Though grown in deep mud, the lotus remains unscathed. 

In this exhibition, the audience will feel a sense of calmness as they enter. They will uncover the layers of the artist as they walk deeper into the exhibition. Paintings on the wall leads the audience into a small room — signifying the heart of the artist — where the real exhibition begins.