A lucid dream is a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming, a dream state with the dreamer remaining fully conscious.

Looking back at my own experiences of dreams, indeed, there were times I was very aware that I was in a dream. It only took certain momentum or one significant clue in the dream to bring me to my consciousness, knowing that “ah, it’s a dream.”

In my dreams, I saw my childhood playmates; I was with my family going out on a picnic, with the sun shining bright in the sky, and a refreshing scent in the air. Being aware that I was a grown-up already, I saw my playmates remained as children by contrast. I realized that I was in a dream. I felt the happiness for real, even I was in a dream.

In reality, we think and act in response to messages received through our senses and body. By contrast, in a lucid dream we are allowed to perceive the self within.

Childhood playmates have been out of touch since graduating from the kindergarten. Nevertheless, moments of pure and precious friendship still appears in my dreams from time to time.

There tends to be a gap between our memories and the actual events, due to that the sequences of events could become too complicated for us to distinguish as time goes by. Then, the gap is where our imaginations thrive. When we recall things in the past, memories are constructed, depending on our mentality, emotions, and prejudices at the moment. The emergence of that gap relates to artistic creation in a way that both take one’s imaginations and rationalizations to purify one’s finest feelings. The gap and artistic creation are concealed in our daily life, with a note of subtle differences. Anything comes from them is sentimental and profound.

Dreams are constructed by imaginations and memories. So are my image works.

In this exhibit, videos and video installations are used as the media. The settings in the videos have been created on the basis of observations on one’s daily experiences, but with certain modifications, or re-production sometimes. In the narration, I have multiple identifications, respectively performing certain moments of life, moments of private experiences in common. Like my previous works, the narration emphasizes greatly on events or places about dining and foods. On one hand, it is out of my personal passion. On the other hand, eating represents elements and experiences indispensable to life. The audience can easily identify themselves in the videos through reflections and recollections, and then extend their imaginations eventually.

Lucid dreaming seems to provide with us a stage opener than the daily life to express and exert any things we can imagine. In a lucid dream, we could meet with people we miss, overcome fears in reality, and enjoy being free completely. Artistic creation serves the same purpose, I think.

Contrasting with the world in a lucid dream, reality makes us feel powerless. Sadness is inevitable and we have no control over our destiny. Nevertheless, all the good and bad in our memories are the materials building up our existence and give us the cause and courage to move on forward.