I did a small intervention this week with my one of group members, Yu kong ,who is also a staunch feminist.
I chose a very famous Chinese modern love poem,The poet is a very excellent woman, one day he was inspired to write this poem after chatting with a friend with typical traditional machismo, expressing her independent view of love as a woman. In the poem, men are compared to oak trees and women are compared to kapok. The images of the two trees stand firmly together, interdependent and independent of each other.
《致橡树》-舒婷
我如果爱你——绝不像攀援的凌霄花，借你的高枝炫耀自己；我如果爱你——绝不学痴情的鸟儿，为绿荫重复单调的歌曲；也不止像泉源，常年送来清凉的慰藉；也不止像险峰，增加你的高度，衬托你的威仪。甚至日光。甚至春雨。不，这些都还不够！我必须是你近旁的一株木棉，作为树的形象和你站在一起。根，紧握在地下，叶，相触在云里。每一阵风过，我们都互相致意，但没有人，听懂我们的言语。你有你的铜枝铁干，像刀，像剑，也像戟；我有我红硕的花朵，像沉重的叹息，又像英勇的火炬。我们分担寒潮、风雷、霹雳；我们共享雾霭、流岚、虹霓。仿佛永远分离，却又终身相依。这才是伟大的爱情，坚贞就在这里：爱——不仅爱你伟岸的身躯，也爱你坚持的位置，足下的土地。
《To Oak》-Shu Ting
If I love you—not like a climbing lily flower, I show myself off with your tall branches; if I love you—never learn from an infatuated bird, repeating monotonous songs for the shade; not just like a spring, sent all year round Cool comfort; not just like a perilous peak, increasing your height and setting off your majesty. even daylight. Even spring rain. No, these are not enough! I must be a kapok tree near you, standing with you as the image of a tree. Roots, clinging to the ground, leaves, touching in the clouds. We greeted each other with every gust of wind, but no one understood our words. You have your bronze branches and iron trunks, like knives, swords, and halberds; I have my red flowers, like heavy sighs, and heroic torches. We share the cold wave, the wind and thunder, the thunderbolt; we share the fog, the haze, and the rainbow. It's as if they are separated forever, but they are forever attached to each other. This is great love, and constancy is here: love - not only love your stalwart body, but also love the position you hold, the land under your feet.
Then I read this poem to Yu Kong，and discuss my views and opinions with her, Women have long been the second sex that exists as a dependent man，especially in traditional Chinese agricultural society，But I also think that I am truly equal between men and women, just like two trees whose roots are connected, supporting each other and independent of each other.Facing the challenges of a long life together.
Then Inspired by this poem, I asked her to express his point of view by painting.
The final work 《Oak and Kapok 》
She explained that the large area of black in this work represents gunpowder and the battlefield，Oak and kapok dance happily together in male and female figures，their roots and branches are joined together，In such a dangerous environment, Kapok always held its head high and danced bravely with the oak tree，They are like family, like lovers, more like comrades fighting side by side.