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"I read what seduces me, I write what perverts me. "
- Heather Cai -
--- A test says my spiritual age is 108 years old and my psychological age 48,
For once, let me pretend to be that skeptical 108-year-old lady, who doesn't care about national boundaries, religion, politics, class, race, color, language, gender and age. Pretend that this is self-experimentation. You open up to yourself in the dark. Your body melts into nothingness and your soul wanders freely. If you see your true self floating like a white dot, you might appreciate art. If art is the ultimate lifestyle of human beings, art is universal.让我假装当一回那个可疑的108岁老太太。她不在乎国界、宗教、政治、阶级、种族、肤色、语言、性别和年龄。假装这是一次自我实验。你在黑暗中敞开心扉。你的身体融化成虚无。你的灵魂自由驰骋。你若看到真实的自己漂浮的像个白点，你可能懂得欣赏艺术。如果艺术是人类的终极生活方式，艺术是全世界的。
---"Layers of Us", Shanghai, 2019.11.29 | 《层次不同的我们》摄于上海
---"Shades of Us", Shanghai, 2019.11.29 | 《深浅不一的我们》摄于上海
That skeptical 108-year-old lady is fascinated by anything relating to people, like human touch and human nature. She believes that knowing what we are is essential for knowing what art is, and reflecting on what we’ve gone through is necessary for reflecting on why art is powerful. She also believes that understanding hurt people with empathy is helpful in understanding what healing is, and exploring the true self is vital in exploring how art can be healing. 这位可疑的108岁老太太着迷于跟人有关的一切，比如人的触摸和人的本性。她认为，了解我们的内在本身对了解艺术是最基本的，而反思我们过去所经历的对反思艺术为何会有如此感染力是必要的。她还认为，用同情心去理解受伤人群有助于理解疗愈是什么，而探索真我有益于探索艺术是如何疗愈的。
---The Healing Art Exhibition, 2019.11.16 | 平生第一个艺术展
WHAT IS ART?
Wikipedia says, “Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts, expressing the author's imaginative, conceptual ideas, or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power." But what do the illiterate farmers and that skeptical 108-year-old lady think of art?维基百科说：“艺术是人类创造视觉、听觉或行为表演多种多样的活动，表达创作者富有想象和概念性的想法或技巧技能，目的是为了让人欣赏他们作品的美或情感的力量。” 但是，文盲农民和那个可疑的108岁老太太对艺术又有什么看法呢？
Like my father, farmers might say art is bullshit. For they don’t have the concept of art and so understand life more pragmatically. However, that skeptical 108-year-old lady thinks art is everywhere, even in the hands of the farmers. She thinks farmers have been creating natural artworks in all seasons, such as cultivating rice terraces, without learning about art. She thinks farmers lack knowledge but not feelings, they lack opportunities but not talent. She sees art as the unseen turmoil behind happiness or beauty before chaos.正如我父亲，农民们可能会说艺术是个屁。因为他们没有艺术的概念，所以更务实地理解生活。然而，这位可疑的108岁老太太认为艺术无处不在，甚至在农民的手心里。她认为农民们不了解艺术但一年四季都在创作自然的艺术品，比如耕种水稻梯田。她认为农民缺乏知识，但不缺乏情感；缺乏机会，但不缺乏天赋。她认为艺术是混乱之前赤裸裸的美或幸福背后看不见的混乱。
---Available, 2019.12.02 | 可出售
WHY IS ART POWERFUL?
Someone once said, “Of all the things in the world, I’d argue that Art, in its many forms, is the most inspirational. Art has a phenomenal ability to make us feel understood, empowered, and less alone.” And that skeptical 108-year-old lady would agree, art dominates her life.有人曾说过，“世间万物，唯有艺术以多种形式存在而最鼓舞人心。艺术有一种非凡的能力，让我们觉得被理解、被赋予力量，不那么孤独。“ 对此那位可疑的108岁老太太表示同意，艺术主宰着她的生活。
---Sold, 2019.11.23 | 已售
WHAT IS HEALING?
Healing is not treatment but the process of transformation: facing our true selves, seeing the emotions and limitations that our past experiences have brought us, and then returning to a naturally happy state of life. Dr. Dipak once said: “When we can uncover our heart and allow the light of happiness to shine, healing is taking place.“ --- Translation from Chinese”疗愈，并非治疗，而是一种真实面对自己生命，看到过往的生活经验带给我们的情绪和局限性的习惯，进而回归到一种自然的幸福的生命状态。这种转换的过程，便是疗愈。迪帕克博士曾说：当我们能够把覆盖在心灵之上的遮盖物一一去除掉，允许幸福的光芒在闪耀，那就是疗愈在发生。“ ---简书
---Available, 2019.12.02 | 可出售
HOW CAN ART BE HEALING?
We all have unresolved wounds or traumas. When we are unbalanced, diseased, damaged or spiritless, how can art help heal us?
我们都有未愈合的伤口或创伤。当我们处于不平衡、不健康、精神受损或”活尸“状态时，艺术如何帮我们疗愈？
---Available, 2019.12.02 | 可出售For me, there seemed always an inner drive forcing me to act. When I couldn’t breathe, I took a walk. When I felt trapped in a tiny square, I went traveling. When I felt lost, I reminded myself to connect with people around me and so reconnect with my self. When I felt empty or horny, I fed my stomach or pleased my body. When I saw a beautiful pattern from a tangled mess, I would smile to add motion to it with my imagination. You might ask, where does such inner drive come from? Well, listen to your inner voice. Be self-aware. Be mindful. Be calm.对我来讲，似乎总是有一种内在的驱动力迫使我去做事。当我感觉无法呼吸时，我去散步。当我感觉被困在一个小方框内时，我就去旅行。当我感到迷茫时，我提醒自己要与身边的人联络感情，这样才能与自己重建联系。当我感到空虚或饥渴时，我会满足我的胃和我的身体。当我从一团乱麻中看到一个美丽的图案时，我会笑着想象它的变化和移动。你可能会问，这样的内在动力是从何而来的？听自己的心声。有自我意识。留心。冷静。
---Special wooden box package for shipment, 2019.11 | 个性特制木箱装运
IINNOO GALLERY & ELEVATE
Once I had this crazy idea to call for an artist like those who called for a marriage in the blind date corners. It impulsively moved me to Shanghai, where I met many artists from many countries. Every time when I visited a gallery or a museum, I felt safe and alive. When having someone to talk to or to listen to, I felt loved. Gratefully, IINNOO Gallery is like my mother bringing me to this art world and Elevate my father watering me to grow. 我有次发疯的像那些相亲找对象的人一样找艺术家，疯到让我直接说走就走搬来了上海。在这里我认识了许多来自世界各地的艺术家。每当我参观某个画廊或博物馆时，我都会感到自己是安全的、活着的。当有人与我交谈或有人倾听时，我都觉得自己是被爱的。真的很感激，黑白之中画廊就像我的母亲把我带到这个崭新的艺术界，而阿黎微忑就像我的父亲不时给我浇水，让我成长。---IINNOO Team @ Exhibition: Infinite Repetition, IINNOO Gallery, 2019.03.01 | 《无限循环》开幕展小组合照@黑白之中画廊---With Elevate Team @ Exhibition: Confront Abstraction, 1929 Art Space, 2019.11.02 | 《抽象对峙》开幕展上与阿黎微忑小组合影@1929艺术空间
December 7th, ELEVATE will be hosting a whole day of events at one of the biggest and best theatres in town. And I'm very happy to be involved.12月7日，阿黎微忑将在魔都最大和最好的剧院之一举办一整天的艺术狂欢活动。很高兴我也会在现场帮忙组织。
---Event Flyer. Courtesy of ELEVATE
Note: To build a mutual Literature & Art community, Heather has now opened her personal channel (WeChat ID: Heather69) to her fans, who are following HeathersChamber. No cheaters!
备注：由于时间和精力有限，为了建立一个互敬互惠的文学艺术圈子，阿太特向已关注此公众号的粉丝们分享她的个人微信号：Heather69 。骗子勿扰！
Heather is the daughter of a subsistence rice farmer from Fujian Province, China. She tells stories from her experience as one of the poorest. She writes her dream to share with the world, a very personal place. She has now written two English literary novels and is looking to being published in the UK. Her passion is a splendid cocktail or milkshake of word, image, music and art. She likes collecting books, DVDs, papers, stones, shells and leaves. She desires for all forms of natural beauty. She is currently teaching kids chess in Shanghai and serving as Sergeant-at-arms (SAA) for Shanghai Leadership Toastmasters Club.
Copyright © 2018-2019 Heather Cai. All Rights Reserved. 所有版权归作者蔡太莲所有！
Follow HeathersChamber for more original poems, essays, prose, drawings and pictures关注阿太的密室，订阅更多原创诗歌、散文、随笔、画画和图片