Jihong in her 20s
I've observed a sense of uncertainty in people these days — a kind of hesitation about the future. At the same time, I grew up hearing my mother talk about the 1990s, a period when everything felt possible, when people were hopeful and the city was still being built. That contrast made me fall in love with an era I never lived through. This series is my way of holding onto that spirit — by telling the story of the woman who lived it. The narrative follows my mother, Jihong, through her twenties in Shenzhen — arriving in a new city, working multiple jobs, falling in love, building a family. Her story is both personal and emblematic of a generation that grew alongside the city. Visually, I used needle pen with fine, detailed linework to create a realistic, almost magazine-like feel — as if each scene could be a photograph from that era.我注意到如今人们身上有一种不确定感——一种对未来的迟疑。与此同时，我是听着妈妈讲九十年代长大的：那是一个一切皆有可能的年代，人们满怀希望，城市还在建设之中。这种反差让我爱上了一个我从未经历过的时代。这个系列是我留住那种精神的方式——讲述一位亲历过那个年代的女性的故事。故事跟随我的妈妈 Jihong 走过她在深圳的二十多岁——来到一座新城市、同时打好几份工、恋爱、组建家庭。她的故事既是个人的，也代表了与这座城市一同成长的一代人。视觉上，我用针管笔细密的线条营造写实、近乎杂志般的质感——仿佛每一个画面都可能是那个年代的一张照片。
