Jenny Cui

癫(Dian) is a series of ink drawings (150 x 90cm each) that unfold a contemporary fable set in a fictional city overrun by Changgui (ghosts) and ruled by Tigers and Chu-ren (shapeshifting human-tigers). Each drawing depicts fragments of this story, exploring cycles of fear, worship, memory erasure, and betrayal. This allegory critiques authoritarian power, propaganda, and the complicity of the masses. The title, 癫(Dian), while directly translating as “madness,” carries layered meanings in Chinese, suggesting disorientation, loss of order, and the descent into collective frenzy.

On the top row, from left to right, are the first and second works in the series; on the bottom row, from right to left, are the seventh and eighth works.

On the top row, from left to right, are the third and fourth works in the series; on the bottom row, from right to left, are the fifth and sixth works.