Crimson Skies, Azure Fields

Using the relationship between sheep and shepherd as a metaphor in this mixed media work, I explore political conflict through themes of herd mentality, blind obedience, and the tension between individuality and conformity. The concept was inspired by a quote I read in my youth: “Sheep fear the wolves, so they follow the shepherd's guidance, but in the end, it’s the shepherd who consumes them.” I now grasp the deeper meaning behind it.
The painting juxtaposes an image of a shepherd and sheep in blue with a city of people in red. The color palette itself carries political implications, and the alternating placement mirrors the ideological struggles, with each side wary of being devoured by proverbial wolves—symbolizing external threats and opposing ideologies.
To deepen the complex symbolic relationship, I used MadMapper to program projections that arbitrarily transform the shapes and spaces. The seemingly orderly blue and red sections can form a cohesive whole, yet each is an irregular fragment of the original image. Through digital projection, the red light reveals only red, and the blue light reveals only blue, I emphasize that we, who are involved, can't see the forest for the trees.