Manhole Figures Series

"Manhole Figures Series" is a body of Chinese ink paintings that brings together figurative imagery and impressions of urban surfaces, particularly manhole covers and street textures. Through traditional Chinese ink techniques, I explore human presence, marginality, and memory within contemporary urban environments.

During my artistic research and residencies in Paris, Guangzhou, Teochew, Shantou, Xi’an, and Singapore, I collected impressions from the urban surfaces around me, including manhole covers, door handles, lampposts, and other textured objects. These impressions were later combined with figurative studies of people I encountered in these places.

The "Manhole Figures Series" continues this exploration by bringing the human figure into dialogue with the traces and patterns of the city. Manhole covers, often overlooked and situated beneath our feet, become metaphors for what lies beneath the visible surface of urban life—hidden systems, unnoticed labour, and marginalised lives. The solitary figures within these works suggest states of resilience, vulnerability,…