King of Hoarding
It was inspired by my grandfather, a very representative traditional Chinese elder. He was a kind and simple man but at the same time a very stubborn older adult who had a problem that caused all of us in the younger generation many headaches: hoarding. He lived alone in his old house in the 60s, and all the drawers and corners of the house were filled with his stuff, from small piles of plastic bags to large yellowed and moldy quilts and broken furniture. So every time I entered his old house, it was as if I had entered a crowded old warehouse isolated from the modern world.
Therefore, I started this project out of curiosity to explore his hoarder's mentality.
Was it simply his desire for control that prevented his children from taking care of the clutter for him?
During my pre-painting research, I felt that my grandfather's penchant for clutter hoarding might also be motivated by a sense of fear. After years of retirement, he now has very little that he can truly control, and he fears both not having complete control over his life and not knowing what to do if things change. These things are both a security source and a broken ladder that traps him atop a dangerous building.
During my pre-painting research, I felt that my grandfather's penchant for clutter hoarding might also be motivated by a sense of fear. After years of retirement, he now has very little that he can truly control, and he fears both not having complete control over his life and not knowing what to do if things change. These things are both a security source and a broken ladder that traps him atop a dangerous building.
Was it simply his desire for control that prevented his children from taking care of the clutter for him? During my pre-painting research, I felt that my grandfather's penchant for clutter hoarding might also be motivated by a sense of fear. After years of retirement, he now has very little that he can truly control, and he fears both not having complete control over his life and not knowing what to do if things change. These things are both a security source and a broken ladder that traps him atop a dangerous building.
An almost pathological hoarding habit is his active and passive isolation. He actively isolates himself from the outside world with his own hoarded forest of clutter, enjoying quiet time in the sunset, and he is unwilling and resistant to step out of his forest to touch the living world. Like a line of defense, they also denied his loved ones and friends access to his home and heart, and everyone looked away. So, he was the only one pacing the forest from the beginning for many years.
The old king hides his heart through the piles of old things he has built up. In the familiar old things with his memories, he feels as secure and safe as a child curled up in his womb. The picture is surrounded by his fond memories along the way, and there are also many details in the old things that echo his memories, such as the rattle in the frame. I painted him curled up in the pile of old things from an overhead perspective, his posture is relaxed, and his expression is peaceful, which is the warmest of the four images.