Picnic was a peculiar journey that the other party had carefully planned for me. Seeing the bags he carried on the ride to our destination, I suspected that we were about to have a picnic. Indeed, as I anxiously expected, we set one up by the river. The warm winter afternoon sun shone across the meadow and glistened in the water as we laid out the picnic blanket and placed food under a tree. However, in our following conversation and emotional exchange, I came to realize that this was not a picnic I had hoped for. An initial enthusiasm gradually diminished, turning flat and sad. What appeared to be a joyous setting and romantic scene was in fact complicated by all kinds of emotions. And in the end, it was at this picnic that the relationship came close to an end.

Picnic seeks to explore the tensions that occur between people in relationships. Navigating power dynamics is one of balance, but it proves to be difficult when gestures meant to be of goodwill are forcibly offered. This artwork is an open invitation to a picnic. Under this familiar yet uncommon setting, I hope to evoke everyone’s own personal picnic story.