$200

ZHENGXIN XI

Exhibition: 84th International Open Exhibition

Painting Width: 7

Painting Height: 10

Medium: Watercolor

One night, over a chain of texts, my childhood friend and I went on a tangent about how street food culture in Shanghai used to be so raw, and the food so outrageously delicious. But the best part? The sensory overload – getting encased in the smell of it, getting burnt for being too eager, breaking your back because of the constant crouching, and even the part where you had to elbow 5 other patrons who tried to cut in front of you. Now fully eradicated to give way to the city’s “beautification” campaign, the street food experience lives on only in our memories. And I searched hard in mine when coming up with this painting!