Sonia Jia explores trauma and the still-raw legacy of Japanese occupation on canvas
A bare maiden gets down on one knee. She offers a delicate bouquet to another woman, who, in silent reverence, inclines her head closer to the flowers with a lit cigarette. Against a skin-colored backdrop, their unadorned bodies come to life, revealing the presence of scars and veins. The artwork resembles a fragment peeled from an ancient cave painting.
Healing Strokes: A Gen Z Artist Explores Personal Pain and Historical Trauma is a story from our issue, “Online Odyssey.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine. Alternatively, you can purchase the digital version from the App Store.
Hayley Zhao is an English editor and writer at The World of Chinese. Born and raised in Beijing, Hayley is a multimedia journalist with experience in podcast production. You can find her binging TV shows and stand-up comedy at home when she’s not working.
