Wang Ya
→ Growing Colors 2024-2025
→ Dictyostelium 2024-2025
→ Cell-Cell 2023-2024
→ Inner Kinship 2022
→ Ants 2021
Acknowledgements
Contact
→ Growing Colors 2024-2025
→ Dictyostelium 2024-2025
→ Cell-Cell 2023-2024
→ Inner Kinship 2022
→ Ants 2021
Acknowledgements
Contact
Picture Book
[ Ants is a work from 2021 that marks the beginning of my first serious reflection on life, sparking a lasting interest in the life systems of our planet. ]
When we were children, perhaps we all crouched by the roadside, watching ants with eyes full of curiosity, though often void of care. Sometimes, with just a gentle press of a finger, a tiny life would silently vanish. Those moments were tucked away in the forgotten corners of my childhood, until nearly two decades later, during a college writing course on animals. There, the memory returned as a quiet resonance in my heart: If we could feel the pain of an ant, would the world be different?
My picture book, Ants, was born from this belated apology. It is a dialogue with myself, and a gentle gaze upon life. I crafted a story about a girl who casually harmed ants with her friends as a child, until one day she suddenly began to perceive their pain and fear. As she grows up, she tries to awaken a respect for these tiny lives in others but is often met with indifference. However, this does not stop her; instead, it pushes her firmly onto a broader path—to understand, to speak out, and to believe that every life is worthy of being cherished.
In the final chapter, I step back from the narrative to softly share my thoughts on the equality of all life. This is not a loud slogan, but an awakening rooted in daily life: When we learn to lean in and listen to a leaf, an ant, or a passing breeze, we are also learning how to better treat one another and this planet we share.
Ants is not just a story; it is an invitation. I hope that within this small but sincere narrative, you can see the weight of life and discover the quiet, resilient kindness within yourself. Perhaps a better world truly begins with the respect for a single ant.