Photos: Chinese artist Yang Qian preserves Wuhan's Covid memories

Scenes from the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan — moments of fear and desperation as well as unity and resilience — are etched in the mind of artist Yang Qian. Scribbled instructions for incoming patients plastered on the window of a silent hospital reception counter. A lone worker in a hazmat suit, steadily spraying disinfectant in an empty hospital hallway. One year on, she is channeling those memories into artwork to preserve the memory of the central Chinese city’s 76-day lockdown that upturned the lives of some 11 million people. In a way, that’s an extension of her work as a volunteer delivering vital supplies to hospitals and residents during the traumatic period, while also reflecting the pride many residents take in having weathered the outbreak and draconian measures taken to bring it under control.

Published on: Mar 23, 2021 3:29 PM IST

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Chinese artist Yang Qian prepares for an interview at her studio in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. Yang, who worked as a volunteer delivering vital supplies to hospitals and residents during the city's pandemic 76-day lockdown, is using her art work to make sure that history is not forgotten. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (AP)

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Chinese artist Yang Qian speaks during an interview at her studio in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. Yang, who worked as a volunteer delivering vital supplies to hospitals and residents during the city's pandemic 76-day lockdown, is using her art work to make sure that history is not forgotten. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (AP)

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Chinese artist Yang Qian using dots to recreate an aerial view of Wuhan, China, under lockdown at her studio in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP)

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Chinese artist Yang Qian speaks during an interview at her studio near her art piece using pointillism to depict aerial views of Wuhan city during its 76-day lockdown in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. “To express what I’ve seen in a realistic way, this is the responsibility I’ve given myself. I also hope that much of the history should not be forgotten,” Yang said. (AP)

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Visitors wearing face masks hang out near an art piece painted by Chinese artist Yang Qian, depicting a hospital reception counter plastered with instructions for patients, as they visit a studio in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP)

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Chinese artist Yang Qian works on her art piece using pointillism to depict aerial views of Wuhan city during its 76-day lockdown in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP)