I often wonder, if the city of Macau were to be condensed into a painting, a book or a story, what would it be like? A possibility has been offered by Yolanda Kog, the “Post-80s” artist who moved to Macau in 2009. I occasionally saw her works on Facebook and in various publications in Macau, and was impressed by her highly unique and recognizable style. Therefore, when I heard about the publication of her book Home, I was filled with anticipation.
Perhaps it is difficult for any city to be represented by a single facet, let alone a city of rich historical memories and cultures like Macau. In Macau, different historical periods, communities and individuals have different memories. Naturally, people with different memories will have different interpretations and imaginations of the city. We hear so many people praise Macau for being “a place of cultural diversity, harmony and inclusivity” that it almost becomes cliché, but to truly understand the essence of the statement requires a thorough understanding of this place, which is not easy at all.
In my eyes, Macau is like a huge jigsaw puzzle, and we are like a group of blind people trying to figure it out; we can only touch the bits and pieces scattered here and there, but only in this way can we complete the jigsaw puzzle piece by piece, understand the city and see its true colours.
Without doubt, Yolanda’s Home is one of the small pieces of the puzzle. In the preface, the author says she started working on the book in the eighth year of living in Macau, when she was gradually losing her passion for the city.
“I have always lived in foreign lands. Deep down, the concept of home has been vague to me. Even when I seem to fit it perfectly, the feelings of strangeness and detachment still visit inadvertently. What makes me sadder is that I feel like a ‘familiar stranger’ even when I return to my hometown.”
This passage struck me at once and really resonated with me: I had the same state of mind before.
Macau is a typical immigrant city. People living here come from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, and also Portugal (and other Portuguese-speaking countries) as well as other European countries, America, Japan and Korea. As a result, they have different memories and imaginations for the same city.
It is never easy to go beyond the small scope of one’s usual cognition to feel and understand others. But the publication of a book (especially a picture book that spans language barriers) is probably the best medium for building.
I am a fan of Yolanda’s watercolor paintings – the bold colours, the occasionally quirky brushstrokes, the vibrant aura and the imaginative space bring a wealth of surprises to this constant world that we have long become used to.
Home is where the heart is. From a small island, Home sets out on a fantastic journey and eventually returns to the inner peace. I hope every person who makes Macau their home will experience the same.
