Yvonne Chan
Untitled 1 2008

oil, gesso and watercolour on canvas
(a–c) 60.5 x 273.0 cm (overall)
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, Essendon
 
Deeply affected by the Chinese earthquake last August, I wanted this painting to show the destruction of lives through the torn landscape. The panels explore different stages of the aftermath: the immediate horror, the grief and, finally, the reconstruction that offers hope. I created the cracks by layering gesso over oil paint, then scrunching and stretching the canvas while it was drying. The cracks are concentrated in the epicentre and extend outward to represent the far-reaching ramifications of the disaster. The traditional symbol of the heavenly gateway provides a sense of harsh irony.