The Saints Wear White

February 2020

CGI images

Duyi Han designs a chapel that pays tribute to coronavirus medical workers.

The project envisions the interiors of a church in China's Hubei Province digitally transformed into a large mural depicting doctors and nurses in protective gear fighting the Covid-19 Pandemic. It is an homage that expresses gratitude to medical workers.

The project takes inspiration from the historic style of church painting and fresco. Instead of illustrating biblical scenes of saints or deities, the mural shows the anonymous medical workers who are selflessly putting themselves on the frontline against the virus. They risk their own lives and work long shifts, often having to skip meals and sleep on the hospital floor. These medical professionals are those whom people rely on and put their faith in. They are the heroes and saints during the time of a crisis. With recent reports of mistreatment and improvable work conditions of medical professionals in China, these people deserve higher regard.

As an art form, fresco painting is powerful in evoking the emotion of respect and sublimity. In Hubei Province and especially Wuhan, Western influence brought in churches and church art starting from the 19th century. In such context, this religious architectural and art form is chosen to celebrate and advocate for secular life-savers. To Western and global viewers, a church in China may challenge stereotypical cultural assumptions – it guides people to focus more on the essential content (medical workers) and not the country itself as an exotic entity, especially at a time when the disease triggers racism and xenophobia. This work helps people around the world feel emotionally touched in a common way and unite together. Therefore, it is both locally relevant and globally understandable.

This work has appeared or been featured on numerous platforms: Forbes, The New York Times, CNN, Vice, Adobe, Issues in Science and Technology (American National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine), Marie Claire, Vogue (Spain), Elle, MSN (Brazil), Architectural Digest, Archdaily, Designboom, Bienal São Paulo, Art Tribune (Italy), L’Officiel, Courrier International (France), 1st Look (South Korea), Phillipp (France), Creapills (France), Qiio Magazin (Germany), The National UAE, The Indian Express, Le Quotidien de l'Art, iFeng (China), among others.

Also:

The Saints Wear White (Grand Central)

2020

CGI images

The Saints Wear White (painting)

2020

Oil on canvas

30 x 45’’