I grew up in China during the awkward transition phase between propaganda posters and Chanel ads, and honestly found there to be many similarities between the two. Both consisted of an idealized image of who you should strive to be, and an easy to remember slogan. I encountered graffiti much later in life, and found it to be a much more pleasant form of art.
On a serendipitous trip to Xiamen, a tranquil city off the southeast coast of China, I was advised to visit Xiamen University and its pedestrian tunnel. Constructed in 2015, the tunnel had become a canvas for the university’s students to express their creativity. Many of the art works are done collectively, often by a specific class/major. These cute renditions of traditional Beijing Opera characters were the work of tourism management major students from the class of 2008. People have written all around the art, leaving nostalgic messages about their time at school. It must be an amazing feeling to come back years later to find your own note, and reminisce about young dreams with old friends.
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