The Four Notions
Inspired by the Four Notions described in the Diamond Sutra—self, people, sentient beings, and lifespan—this body of work explores how identity is constructed, perceived, and transformed through images, materials, and time. Rather than illustrating Buddhist concepts directly, each work approaches one notion through a different photographic process, examining the instability of the self and the shifting relationship between individuals, others, and the world.
Notion of Self
Guangzhou, 2020
Photography
Material: Polaroid, emulsion lift on paper
This work uses the transformation of Polaroid emulsion as a way of reflecting on the instability of selfhood. During the transfer process, the image becomes fragile, distorted, and partially detached from its original support. The resulting portrait exists between appearance and disappearance, suggesting that the self is not fixed, but continuously shaped by memory, perception, and change.