This is the final post from the Burnie Print Prize.
‘Shield Wall’ was created in 2019 as a a response to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, at the time against extradition laws that were being introduced in the parliament. The protests developed many iconic images and scenes and was a very dynamic political situation that contained many different narratives of people standing up for what they believe in.
The artwork was created to capture the imagery and the narrative of the protests at that time. The imagery of police in armoured riot gear, protesters in their own make shift protection and utilising umbrellas for protection. The use of smoke flares was used to represent:
Blue – The police and the recent development of the use of blue dye in water cannons to mark protesters.
Yellow – The thin yellow line, a group of older, non-violent protesters who would form a line between the police and younger activists to protect them.
Red – The violence and conflict between protesters and police.
The artwork was also part of a group exhibition about the protests in early 2020 organised by NSW Hong Kongers.
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