Taiwan AIDS Society & Taiwan AIDS Nurses Association
Love The Voice
Taiwan AIDS Society
Taiwan AIDS Nurses Association
Love my Voice
In GEN U, There makes NO DIFFERENCE
Here We See More Than A Segment But All Of You
35 years ago, in 1987, a group of people took action and protested the US government’s ignoring of HIV, just because of the government’s stigma and discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community, with The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.
They put the life stories of those who passed away from AIDS on the hand-made quilt to show the world that “human life matters”.
Nowadays, with the development of medicine, people living with HIV take just one pill a day, preventing the disease from turning into AIDS, and have no symptoms. Actually, 80% of people live with HIV already, they are U=U (undetectable = untransmittable). Despite this, once people admit they are living with HIV, often the public, and sometimes even their very own selves, still hold onto stigma and refuse to build connections and treat them(selves) equally.
This situation not only describes people living with HIV, but also so many other marginalized identities that have been limited by stereotypes including gender, race, finance, sexuality, family, religion, value, job, health and more.
Therefore, we collected more than 356 self-portraits from Taiwan no matter who they are and what their story is. We want to shout out to the public that you can not identify who is living with HIV or who has what kind of background, only judging by their appearance. We are all human, there are no differences – living with ups and downs and our own issues. Most importantly, we live and share our own stories.
Understanding, inclusion, and equity are all we need to create a better life quality together.
Taiwan AIDS Society
Taiwan AIDS Nurses Association
The Taiwan AIDS Society is a group composed of doctors, nurses, experts, and scholars in the field of AIDS/HIV, aiming to improve professional research and human rights. The Taiwan AIDS Nurses Association is composed of nurses and case managers of HIV/AIDS patients, dedicated to improving the service of AIDS care and paying attention to the living issues of people living with HIV. With a shared philosophy, the two organizations have collaborated to launch the “Love the VOICE” brand concept, advocating for human rights and health education issues while also empowering people living with HIV.
Explore their Stories
Granny Don by Kristy Chu
Over twenty years ago, when society was still closed-minded, Granny Don was infected with HIV by her ex-husband. Her parents kicked her out of the house, and her children lost contact with her. After being homeless for a while, she settled down at the Harmony Home Association Center and began helping to take care of the other residents and children. Now in her seventies, although she uses a wheelchair, she is still very energetic, has a loud voice, and loves to dress up. She enjoys arranging potted plants and even cheekily asks the staff to secretly buy her some fried chicken! When you meet her, you would never know how much she has been through.
For this work, Kristy Chu visited Granny Don and got to know her personally. The vibrant colours, black clothing, and hidden trinkets in the painting portray Grandma Don’s sassy attitude. The purpose of this work is to convey her energy and let the world see – this is the spirit of the U generation!
Whether it’s the U in U=U or the H in HIV, they are just 7% of the 26 alphabet letters. There is much more to everyone that deserves to be seen.
Bevis Chuang
In the twisted and fluid consciousness of appearances, I strive to explore the possibilities of beauty, engaging in a constant dialogue with the world, while struggling between countless self-doubts and compromises. At times, I fear and care about the opinions of others, afraid to reveal my true self, and I tend to escape from reality, ultimately hiding in the dark shadows of silence.
May I accept every state of myself, embracing everything, including the imperfections.
April
My name is April. Seven years ago, I experienced a spiritual dark night—Taiwan’s largest public accident, the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion. This opened up a path of spiritual transformation for me, and after realizing that the purpose of the soul is “love and rebirth,” I began to devote myself to making spirituality more accessible, to rekindle self-love and guide more people towards understanding unity and returning to love, and to enjoy the rebirth of spiritual nirvana.
Guiding other souls to see their blind spots, triggering inner transformation, and witnessing everyone living with a “high-dimensional” mindset is my greatest joy after my own rebirth from the ashes.
I used to think that my scars and stress were holding me back, but now I see the blessings in disasters. They have given me the opportunity to see the infinite freedom of nature. I enjoy traveling and currently live a digital nomadic lifestyle.
Now, I focus on enjoying all of my time, my financial and spiritual freedom, and believe that the meaning of life is simply to “live freely in the present moment with love.”
NIEH,I-TSE
All along,
I was a good kid,
A good student,
A good employee,
A good wife,
A good mother,
But unable to see myself clearly.
Through painting,
Slowly and gradually,
Seeing myself.
Terry W.
As a creator, whether on the path of creation or living in this world, it seems that I often change my appearance to cater to others’ opinions, and in the end, I don’t even recognize myself, becoming an indifferent existence. People often try to blend into the world, but end up fading away within it. Perhaps what we need is just some more intense, proactive, and pointless means to rediscover our own colours and light.
NIEH,I-TSE
Terry W.
Valfrid Chen
I am Valfrid, HIV-positive.
It took me only a short year from diagnosis to coming out publicly as living with HIV. During this time, I learned how to accept my diagnosed self, and I no longer feel sadness or shame about it.
HIV-positive people are often labeled by the media with many stigmatizing terms: gay, sexual, promiscuous, deviant, and so on. But is that really the case?
Before my diagnosis, I used to feel dirty and anxious when going for anonymous HIV testing. But after living with HIV, listening to medical advice, and following the regimen of taking medication, check-ups, drawing blood, and test reports, over and over – when the doctor said, “Wow! Congratulations! You no longer test positive!” I was overjoyed.
In the process of learning about the disease, I asked myself:
“Why should I be so afraid?”
“I am now just like any other normal person!”
“What is normal? I’ve always been normal! I was just sick, that’s all!”
“Why should I label myself with negative terms?”
Through this awakening process, I learned to “accept myself,” and removed the negative “labels” from myself, which made me feel liberated! I need to speak up for myself and for other HIV-positive individuals, and tell everyone: “We are not different from anyone else!”
Big Bugi
This world has always convinced us of what a person should look like, but both gods and demons exist in people’s hearts regardless of their appearance.
My mother is gradually fading away like a new moon, while my father is like a sun that is about to collapse into a black hole.
My mother is currently in the end stage of Parkinson’s disease, and my father may also be showing signs of delirium.
Since I was young, I have had scoliosis, pelvic tilt, and weak back muscles, resulting in a long-term hunchback.
After the onset of cataracts, many eye diseases also appeared. Long-term anxiety often affects my digestive system and sleep.
Every day that used to be taken for granted has become a struggle for survival.
Headaches, eye problems, heart problems, digestive problems, and body aches are all part of my daily life.
It’s like incompatible software and hardware that can never run smoothly.
Perhaps I just want to return to my alien appearance. If I see something different, I don’t have to keep seeking approval.
Planting flowers and plants with a handful of soil can also be a comfort, hoping that one day I can return home.
Claire Huang
HUANG, YI-CHUN
Claire Huang
Part of the world is governed by rules and regulations, while another part begins to distort and collapse. In life, besides the necessities, there are also big and small acts of love.
Viewing the world from a different perspective, one is also scrutinized by the world. My story may seem ordinary, but it is full of diversity and richness.
HUANG, YI-CHUN
This is my self-portrait, I am 29 years old and a mother of two boys.
This self-portrait shows my private side. I remember when my husband saw it, he said, “Why did you paint yourself like this?” and I said, “This is me, my true self.”
I just painted my true emotions. Sometimes I feel depressed, anxious, and panicked. I need medication to help me cope. This portrait was painted when I was feeling those emotions. I don’t want to rely on medication forever. I want to be happy and continue doing what I love, which is painting.
Echo Fang
There are many things about society and individuals, family and work, health and emotions, and so on. The secrets and unbearable things hidden in your heart have suffocated you many times.
You don’t know when it started, but a part of your life has been bottled up, leaving you with only a breath that is running out. But you have not given up. You thought that maybe you wouldn’t care so much in the morning after a good night’s sleep, or that in time, it will eventually be forgotten.
But gradually, you can no longer ignore the increasingly harsh alarm from your body and mind. You are on the brink of collapse, and others say, “Just be yourself, you can do it!” but you want to ask, “Are you sure?” Or maybe you should seek help, but for some reason, you can’t make that call.
After a long time of pretending and enduring, you feel suffocated, and every day you think about when you can break free from the bottle and breathe properly.
At this moment, you have run out of breath.
BOX
Where is the Soul?
All human emotions stem from the presence of the soul within our mind and body. Our eyes, which allow us to see all things, are referred to as the windows of the soul. But if we lose our eyes, if we lose our emotions, where does the soul go? We are all individual beings, so why do we meet each other and how do we know one another? Who am I and where do you come from? The soul drifts away with the wind.
We say that our eyes are the windows of our soul, but if we lose our eyes, where does our soul go?
Does it become tears? Or does being lost lead to the loss of the soul?
If black and white represent the good and the evil of human nature, then what is the neutral zone that exists between them?
Is it the so-called bystander? Is it justice? Or is it an excuse for avoidance?
What is love? What is feeling? What is spirit? And what is soul?
Every soul that comes to this world brings its own life with it. The coming, the going, all have their own reasons.
HUANG, TZU-YUN
Although I am incomplete and scarred,
I still have the ability to transform and be reborn.
The butterfly symbolizes freedom, beauty, and soul. Although life is short, one can flourish by learning to love oneself in this limited time. This artwork will serve as a guide for myself, and I hope that everyone who sees it can also be reborn after experiencing pain and breaking free from their cocoons, and ultimately learn to love themselves.
SUNG, TZU-YING
According to scientists, none of the molecules in our body exist seven years ago. In other words, our metabolic turnover every seven years leads to a complete transformation, and we become entirely different people.
Colourful particles fill the universe, sometimes flowing freely, and sometimes transforming into tangible life forms.
Drawing this self-portrait, I captured the colours, smells, and emotions of the moment.
HUANG, TZU-YUN
SUNG, TZU-YING
Ani
When I got cancer, I was very cynical. I couldn’t understand why people would stare at a bald person strangely or even laugh. I also couldn’t comprehend why the company I worked for would heartlessly force me to sign a “voluntary resignation letter” when I was at the most desperate and helpless moment of my life.
This time, participating in this self-portrait movement advocating for “disease equality,” I decided to draw myself during the period when I was most cynical after cancer and still had blonde hair. I used a raised middle finger, which looked fierce, to express all the grievances I had held inside.
LIN, I-WEN
Hi, living and breathing woman.
Do we have to wear skirts to be women?
Do we have to speak softly to be women?
Do we have to take care of the family and children to be women?
Are we only allowed to be women in the eyes of society if we fit into these molds?
As women, when we look at ourselves, we are living and breathing women, not just a framework of what society deems a woman to be. Even if we don’t particularly like ourselves, I believe we are still living and breathing as women.
DA HUANG
Masks are like an alternative identity, covering our faces and hiding a part of us. We have all accepted that there are different faces under masks, and have become accustomed to people who wear masks to seek a sense of safety. However, we cannot look at HIV with the same acceptance and understanding. Both those who have tested positive and those who have not are equally valuable individuals. Whether they choose to hide or reveal their status, I accept and love these people. I have portrayed this spirit in my self-portrait while wearing a mask.
Kulas Wu
“Solidification”
In order to enter the literary and artistic world,
I distanced myself from my true self and worked hard to become a civil servant just to have an economic foundation.
After being trampled for a decade, I decisively left,
trying to regain my connection with the world, environment, culture, knowledge, colours,
and the tangible or intangible things, as well as the space where I gaze upon myself.
I hope to find again my yearning for tranquility,
no longer a prisoner of society, living in stagnant waters.
This is the me of the past, present, and future.
Ting-Yu Kim
To strangers, I am someone who is “tasteless to eat, but a pity to waste”.
To friends, I am someone who “looks down on others”.
And to myself, I am someone who is “excessively self-loving and arrogant, yet also tasteless to eat and a pity to waste, someone who doesn’t care about anything, is always discontent, and constantly complaining”.
The argument is about emotions.
The discontent is about life, material things, and air conditioning temperature and hot water heaters.
Even though I often say that I hate painting, I know that only painting can cure all of my emotions. This self-portrait represents both my discontent and contentment.
Derek Chow
To Frame or Not to Frame? 1st Series: “Searching for My Next State”
In the abstract mist, I search for myself, encountering question marks everywhere. However, occasionally I find interesting places that fascinate me, prompting me to continue exploring. This journey is like life; not everything can be clearly defined, only a vague direction is needed.
The creative process of different periods has its own ideas, some insisting, some compromising. From initially drawing for fun to later transforming into my main focus of contemplation, each painting is an exploration and a chance to get lost. Through this artwork, I hope we can immerse ourselves together in the exploration.
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