According to the classic scripts of Chinese medicine, the 7 emotions —
ecstasy, fury, worry, reverie, grief, terror, and shock — are causes of
chaos. If left untamed, they can disrupt the heart, intestines, and the Qi
of a balanced body. “7” is a self-portrait photography series by Chinese
American photographer Wei Ding. The series speaks about the inner
chaos and the loss of identity from his life-long experience of displacement
as an immigrant.
How does it FEEL to blend in everywhere but not belong anywhere? The
series unpacks the complexity of answering this core question. Here,
the actual face of the artist disappears and merges with the background,
while the Chinese characters of the seven emotions occupy his
face and form seven Peking-opera-ish masks. The calligraphic strokes
painted on his face strengthens his state of being captured in some
photo, while in others contradicting it with a sense of irony. In this
series, there is no illustration or conclusion. Using the technique of
body paint as a metaphor, Wei Ding creates a space for his emotional
dilemma of being forever un-belonged.
