Traffic

Living in a megacity like Shanghai, it is impossible to avoid traffic. During my daily commute to and from school, I am often stuck for long stretches of time on the highway. In this piece, I attempted to translate my frustration and gloom into a visual language.

As someone with moderate astigmatism, I see lights with blurred tails, especially at night. I recreated this effect in this painting, intentionally using fuzzy outlines for the cars, tail lights, and highway lamps. This effect also evokes a sense of disorientation. Finally, the three smaller detail images—my left hand on the car horn, right hand tightly gripping the gear switch, and foot firmly planted on the brake—further capture the tension and anxiety of being trapped in motionless traffic.