Jia: The true essence of philosophy of life is actually the philosophy of death. Many mental activities are centered around the final conclusion when people are still alive. For example, questions like where I’m heading for after I die or how I’m going to look like in the afterlife. Therefore, the conclusion of death will affect our living at the moment. When creating We Are from the Century, you can see that my themes and materials are merely once-existing stuffs. For example, this kid’s clothes were typically the style of 1980s. I do care for this artwork. The materials lie in the mission of painting in that it will demonstrate at present, shine in the future and keep existing in the past once it is done by the artist. As for me, it is another frame. Although as I said just now I couldn’t tell what it looks like when it’s done, it remains as a key issue just like the philosophy of death. Or maybe only at the point of finishing could I tell exactly what I’ve done.

Feng: So you couldn’t tell right now?

Jia: No. I’m confused as you are.

Feng: You might be those that are driven by sudden inspirations. It is possible that the reason why you’re going to say just lies in the uncertain outlook and the unexplainable conflict.

Jia: Michelangelo who lived and died centuries ago had left us great enlightenment which makes me respect such kind and way of painting. His enlightenment is shown in the impression on people after him by his masterpiece Genesis. And that’s probably why I’m willing to choose painting as a career.

Feng: You want to enlighten people through painting?

Jia: I dare not say that. Nor am I capable of doing that. Yet, the painting is still called We Are from the Century.

Feng: What’s the connection between the career you’re dedicated to night and day and your ultimate goal?

Jia: Sometimes it kills me with desperation.

Feng: Is there any high time?

Jia: Very rare/

Feng: So you’re a pessimist?

Jia: Close to that. But I believe my personal feelings are irrelevant.

Feng: I know that feelings can be irrelevant. But purposes still matter.

Jia: In my fantasies, I often feel like if I stand on the golden section and draw a horizon, I’m actually facing Yalu River and North Korea is miles away, which is like my hometown Dandong in my childhood, like our school, our playground, etc. Based on my memories about 1980s and 1990s, there are plenty of things to tell, like our education, faith and even family background with specific representation of time and place. My grandfather is communist party member, whose shelves were filled with books about Leninism and Marxism with yellow paperback. When I was reading the books, I barely looked at those words. Instead I was fascinated by the pictures which took a part of my life. Later, the radical changes in Eastern Europe seemed a joke to me. Yet you would be hit by the aftershock after you gradually learned what has fallen. Then I moved on the think that little students like us at that time were like the objects in the experiment to boil the frog with warm water, just like a nightmare. I didn’t want to be caught by such nightmare, yet your body just couldn’t help…

Feng: What are you up to by using your own growth pains and memories as resources?

Jia: Nothing.

Feng: Nostalgia?

Jia: I stay away from nostalgic materials as far as possible.

Feng: Then why did you choose this pattern?

Jia: Never thought about it.

Feng: So just casual fragmental combination?

Jia: In fact, it’s another status of refraining.

Feng: Refraining what?

Jia: A kind of subjective consciousness.

Feng: Can you speak more about that? Subjective consciousness is a way too big concept. What kind of subject consciousness?

Jia: Current mainstream consciousness.

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