Produced by Fanny Lawren, “Routes: The Spiritual Odyssey of Chinese American Artists” is a documentary series about the spiritual odyssey of 12 well-established Chinese American visual artists: Cui Fei, Ho Sin-ying, Hu Bing, Lin Yan, Ma Xinle, Shen Ruijun, Song Xin, Tan Liqin, Wei Jia, Zhang Hongtu, Zhang O, and Zheng Lianjie.
Art has always been subjective, not recognized by the general public. Yet art has big influence on social, cultural and education. Artists use brushes, paint, clay, and various media to convey their inner world, plead and appeal for the community. The silent voices could create incredible power.
On the other hand, artist is not parents’ preferred profession for Asian children, particularly Chinese. The documentary interviews 12 native Chinese artists who come to America to pursue their passion of art. It takes the audience to enter the artists’ everyday life, visit their studios, learn their creative process, and preparations for exhibitions. It shows the joy and hardship of being an artist.
Routes reveals each of the artists’ unique sacred paths to fulfill the American dreams, as well as their changes in art medium/content and life style/value. It explains the challenges and importance of art, especially for Chinese American artists.