The Metamorphosis 形变记
4'30'' https://www.lihong.art/animation 2022Metamorphosis is an experimental ink animation created over the course of a year, comprising 1,178,000 individual ink paintings. This work explores the intricate relationship between humanity and nature, drawing inspiration from Zhuangzi’s philosophy: "To follow the natural order, relinquish rigid self-attachment, and achieve harmony with all things." Set within a dreamscape, the narrative follows the metamorphic exchange of identities between a human, a flower, and a caterpillar, allowing them to experience one another’s joy, sorrow, and fear. This transformation dissolves the boundaries of individuality, enabling a perception of existence through multiple life forms. By employing modern technology to emulate the fluidity and unpredictability of ink painting, I reflect on the paradox of human ambition to exert absolute control over nature. This work serves as an invitation to relinquish self-attachment, experience the interconnectedness of all things, and reconsider humanity’s place within the natural world. In an era of relentless acceleration and intervention, can we still rediscover a way to coexist with nature? 作品《形变记》是一部实验水墨动画，历时一年创作，由117.8万张水墨作品构成。这部作品探讨人与自然的关系，灵感来源于庄子的哲学——“顺应自然，摆脱固执的自我迷恋，实现人与万物的和谐共生。” 故事发生在梦境中，人与花、毛毛虫相互身份转化，体验彼此的喜悦、悲伤与恐惧。这种转化模糊了个体界限，使人得以用不同生命形态感知世界。我用现代技术模拟水墨的流动性和不确定性，以此反思人类试图绝对控制自然的矛盾，呼吁放下对自我身份的执着，体验万物之间流动的关联，并重新思考人类在自然中的位置。在这个快节奏、高度干预的世界里，我们是否还能找到与自然共生的方式？We are all children of the land
This story is based on Chuang Tzu's argument that "we should follow nature to break free of stubborn self-obsessions and the separation of everything from myself, thus living in harmony with nature." 这个故事取材于庄子的论点：“我们应该顺应自然，摆脱固执的自我迷恋和万物与我的分离，从而与自然和谐相处”。 
Nature is also giving feedback 大自然也在反馈 Specific data shows that due to the development of mining and agricultural projects, vegetation that accounts for 35% of the total area of the Amazon rainforest has disappeared or its quality has declined; more than 8,000 local plants and 2,300 kinds of animals are in extinction. In recent years, due to the adjustment and change of farming techniques and the emergence, reproduction, and spread of various pests and diseases caused by global warming, the initial bacterial and insect sources of pests and diseases in the soil and environment have become almost saturated. 具体数据显示，由于矿业和农业项目的开发，占亚马逊雨林总面积 35%的植被已经消失或质量下降，当地 8000 多种植物和 2300 多种动物濒临灭绝。 近年来，由于耕作技术的调整和改变，以及全球变暖导致的各种病虫害的出现、繁殖和传播，土壤和环境中最初的病虫害细菌源和昆虫源已接近饱和。
To enhance immersion, I employ a narrative structure alternating between “you,” “I,” and “they,” offering multiple perspectives of the same event from human, plant, and animal viewpoints. The triptych format simultaneously presents these interwoven realities, reinforcing a broadened understanding of natural interconnectedness. 在表现手法上，我采用“你、我、他”的叙述方式，希望观者能够代入角色，以第一人称的视角体验人与自然的关系。作品采用三屏并置的形式，展现同一事件发生时，人、植物与动物各自的状态。这种多视角的叙事方式，加深了对自然界微妙关联的探索。
Chinese landscape painting Visually, my work draws from the spatial philosophy of traditional Chinese landscape painting, rejecting linear perspective in favor of an expansive, fluid composition. Inspired by Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains, I juxtapose sharp angular mountain forms with soft rounded ones, evoking the duality of nature’s essence and its timeless symbolism. 在画面语言上，我深受中国山水画的影响。中国山水画强调自由流动的空间观念，不受时间与视点的限制，描绘的是事物的本质。例如，在表现远处山体时，我借鉴了《鹊华秋色图》的表现手法——一座山是尖锐的三角形，另一座是浑圆的形态，它们并置于同一画面之中，展现自然本质的永恒象征。这种非线性、无固定视角的构图方式，也呼应了《形变记》中身份流动与界限模糊的主题。
Guqin” for dubbing In the sound design, I compose, perform, and edit an original score, centering the guqin as the primary melodic foundation. At the climax, rock elements are introduced, layered with industrial noise, human voices, and natural ambient sounds. These auditory contrasts encapsulate the discordant yet coexisting dynamics between modern urban existence and the natural world. 在声音设计上，我根据影片节奏编曲、演奏和剪辑，以古琴为主旋律，并在高潮部分融入摇滚音乐元素。此外，我叠加了工业噪音、人声以及自然环境音，以展现当代城市生活的紧迫感和冲突。这三种截然不同的声音交织在一起，象征着现代社会人与自然之间复杂的关系。
Ink stop-motion animation production process 水墨定格动画制作过程During creation, I faced the challenge of ink’s unpredictability in stop-motion animation. Unlike traditional animation, ink flows and diffuses uncontrollably, making smooth transitions difficult. Editing was equally demanding—I carefully selected frames from hundreds of thousands of images to maintain rhythm. Digital adjustments helped stabilize transitions, but I aimed to preserve ink’s natural essence. Balancing “adjustment” and “preservation” became my focus. After a long journey of exploration, I completed 1,176,000 paintings, each capturing subtle variations in a dance between human control and natural randomness.在创作过程中，我面临水墨在定格动画中不可控性的挑战。与传统动画不同，水墨流动、渗透，难以掌控过渡的平滑度。剪辑同样艰难——我从数十万张图像中精挑细选，以保持节奏。数字调整帮助稳定过渡，但我仍希望保留水墨的自然特质。“调整”与“保留”的平衡成为我的核心思考。经历漫长探索后，我完成了1,176,000幅画，每一帧微妙变化交织成一场人与自然随机性的张力之舞。