Software: Procreate
I had never been one to step out of my comfort zone, and my comfort zone used to be very small. I would consider myself a homebody, or in Chinese 宅女, meaning that I don’t really like to go outside. Or rather, that I would more likely choose to stay in than go out. However, in these past few years, I have discovered biking as a great way to really explore the city I had overlooked for so many years. I slowly became more open to invitations from friends to go out, and because of that my view of the world has truly broadened. I no longer look at the city as a burden but as an opportunity. So, upon receiving this assignment my mind immediately jumped to all the places I’ve seen while biking and/or walking with friends/family. Many places pop up in my mind, especially the ones that really took my breath away. Whether it be biking through old roads passing by tractors with my Dad or walking the streets at 4 am with a small group of friends on Halloween looking for an open restaurant, these scenes of the city have been forever engrained in my mind. For my landscape, I have decided to choose a pedestrian walkway below the highway specifically at nighttime. It is an elevated road that stretches over the stores and small alleyways of the city, but below the busy freeway above. At this particular area at night, the highway above lights up in electric blue, and it feels as though you’ve been transported to a different world. It was one of those times when I couldn’t help but exclaim my amazement at never seeing this part of the city, for it was simply invisible to the cars above, and the impact was not nearly the same for the people below.
Visuals of possible placements of the billboard, located at one of the busiest foot-traffic sky bridges in Shanghai, 陆家嘴 (Lujiazui). Intended as a way to inspire the modern office working hustler to be adventurous.
