Hong Kong-based illustrator dodolulu has long found it difficult to strike a balance between having an active social life and sufficient alone time. This dilemma is embodied in her watercolor illustrations in the form of expressionless female characters who carry themselves with an aura of ambivalence. Meandering through the pages of her sketchbook, these doll-like characters have become a way for dodolulu to share her observations on the quirks of human nature.
“I believe people are generally expressionless when they’re alone,” she comments. “We’ll look like we’re devoid of any emotion. This is our truest forms. That’s why I choose to draw my characters this way. When people see these characters I draw, I want them to look inwards and discover what’s in their hearts.”
她笔下的人物大多是女孩。她们看来虚无飘渺，带着一副空洞、难以读取的表情，在孤独与人群中徘徊来去 。这些面无表情、从不重复的人偶，都是出自香港插画师 dodolulu 的创作。
她用画画来抒情，把对人际关系的细心观察，都投射在她的画里。“我觉得人在独处的时候，大多都不会带有表情，看起来没有情绪，这是我们最真实的状态。所以我画的人几乎都是这样。我想借由这些人偶，去寻找观者更加内在、藏在心底的东西。”
In a way, the emotionless demeanors of her characters act as blank canvases. It allows the audience ample room to draw from their past experiences and form their own interpretations of the work. “Some people say that my drawings are dreamy or relaxing to look at, and others have described them as being overly melancholic,” dodolulu tells us. “I think it’s quite interesting that the same drawing can elicit such different interpretations from person to person.”
面无表情的人物画就像是一张留白的画布，看的人把情感投影在上面，像镜子一样反映出自己的内心世界 。“有些人说我的画让人感觉到很梦幻、舒服， 也有人形容看起来很忧伤 。我觉得观众能从同一幅画作感受出不同的心情，这一点很有趣。”
While art has been a useful tool in helping dodolulu manifest many of her ideas, the human need to socialize with others remains a puzzling matter for her. “I enjoy alone time, and I think my drawings reveal just how much I truly appreciate solitude,” she admits. “But I think everyone experiences similar struggles of wanting to find a balance between spending time with friends and setting aside alone time for themselves. It’s a constant tug-of-war. I suppose my illustrations are ultimately a way for me to muse on this human predicament.”
对 dodolulu 来说，与人相处是一个矛盾的难题。“我很喜欢自己一个人的宁静时光，在画画时多少透露了这种享受独处的心境。我觉得每个人都是不断在群体和自我之间拉扯，在互动与孤独、自我和众人之中找一个落脚点。透过绘画，我想表达的大概就是这样一种，身为人不得不面临到的对立关系。”
