Thriving in Covid-19 Pandemic, Series 5 • Acrylic on canvas • 152.5 cm x 91.5 cm • 2021 • by artjamila
Interpretation: Covid-19 has been around for a long time, and people have been adapting and living with it in their daily lives. This painting is about people globally thriving in the pandemic and keeping busy despite having to stay at home with the new normal. Thriving in the new normal, students go to classes online, people work from home, and many bring their businesses online to stay afloat.
The new hybrid implementation of the “Cloud” system brings everyone together by connecting us with various media and lots of information to help us continue with our daily lives. This can be seen in the middle of the painting where there are people working with computers inside a big cloud. Inside the cloud, there are lines and dots connecting together. This represents people getting connected and communicating with each other through “Network Solutions”. Everyone including the youth must be equipped with a computer device such as a smartphone or tablet with a suitable connection such as “5G Connectivity”. This is because learning, businesses and training are most commonly in mobile mode in this age.
Distance is no longer an issue. Everyone from all over the world is connected through the Cloud. As seen in this painting, youth in South East Asia are wearing their traditional costumes and connected through their devices and the Cloud for attending courses, ceremonies and events online. We have learnt a lot from this pandemic. Even though we have to work and study in isolation, we can stay connected virtually through technology. We have to adapt a new way of life and learn to be resilient. Everything is superimposed with the virus in the background to indicate that we must learn to live with the virus for a long time and adapt to the new normal of doing things.