Safe and Sound
Claudia Tong
Watercolour
2022
Safe and Sound (2022) is a watercolour illustration that transforms a seemingly plain everyday fruit into a feast - As we approach the festive season in this moment of stress and uncertainty, let these apples be the messengers of peace and love. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for apple is 苹(píng)果(guǒ), which has the same sound as 平(píng) in the word 平(píng)安(ān), meaning safe and sound. On the lower right corner, I wrote this word in small seal script, an ancient form of Chinese calligraphy from the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), wishing you a moment of inner peace.
Claudia Tong
I am on a mission to give ordinary moments a chance to shine with art. Storytelling and humanity are at the centre of my artistic concepts. My practice spans from urban landscape, architecture and illustrations to mixed media, visual computing and music.
In my urban landscape and architecture, I capture both the space and an emotional journey around it, unveiling hidden gems and moments of serendipity in our seemingly plain daily life. In my mixed media practice, by merging classical Chinese philosophy, literature, and calligraphy with contemporary art, I aim to create an open dialogue between the past and present, and between Eastern and Western cultures.
Apart from the spiritual and cultural aspects of our human experience, I advocate for sustainable living and environmental conservation with illustrations and abstract art, combining both realistic and imaginative elements. Sustainability is also the principle of my creative process: my mediums are often recycled or repurposed from the waste, ranging from cardboards, wood blocks, the other side of a draft paper to painting with acrylic on coconut shells. My work invites all to join the sustainable journey and reflect on our universal yet diverse human experience, which and is full of adventure, surprise, and most importantly, joy.
Instagram: @cxt.art
Website: linktr.ee/claudiaxt
Linktree: claudiaxt
Claudia is an artist based in London and a member of ArtCan and Assemblage Collective. Storytelling and humanity are at the centre of her artistic concepts. Her practice spans from traditional landscape, architecture and illustrations to mixed media, visual computing and music. She graduated from Brown University in computer science, and has lived, studied, worked and exhibited across 4 continents. When not making art, she works in quantitative finance.