The Dilemma

WhyisKai (2021)

The Dilemma is a four-piece digital art highlighting the hard-hitting choices some individuals face as they navigate their way in life and figure out their role in modern society. The overarching theme here is the focus on hands, which is one of the most used and visible part of the human body. From an altruistic act of lending a hand, to the arduous climb of the corporate ladder, from a major life event such as a wedding ring exchange, to a traditional social norm such as hand-shaking, hands play a major part in how humans interact with society and environment.

Note: I would like to acknowledge and highlight that everyone is unique in their own way. There are many incredible individuals who are able to live fulfilling lives without hands. The choice of hands as the central theme is in no way excluding them from the conversation.

Activism v Survival

The Dilemma: Activism v Survival explores one’s personal decision in whether she/he should do the ‘right thing’ by pursuing social justice for the discriminated, underprivileged and persecuted, or staying out of trouble by purely focusing on her/his own individual survival or prosperity.

This quandary arises as activism tends to be plainly put, “bad for business”. To bring about significant impact, it typically involves rocking the boat and bringing about change in the status quo.

These naturally draw pushback from both public and hidden stakeholders with vested interests. Effective and highly publicised activism especially tends to put an individual and her/his family’s business or employment under the microscope and in the crosshair should ‘dark arts’ be employed.

Passion v Money

The Dilemma: Passion v Money highlights the crossroads that many employees or entrepreneurs face when deciding their path. The pursuit of passion as a livelihood tends to involve forgoing a better-paying and more secure financial future.

This is especially prevalent in today’s modern age where much focus is placed on living a fulfilling life. But on the opposite of the spectrum, financial goals carry more weight due to dependencies, rising cost of living and materialistic desires.

In a modern society, generations have much more options in terms of career path or business opportunities. But the downsides are increased automation and competitiveness. This is in contrast with the past where jobs are scarce and many used to jump at any forms of employment to put food on the table.

Mental v Physical

The Dilemma: Mental v Physical examines the newest and most relevant issue brought about by the whole situation with COVID-19 worldwide. Be it romantic or platonic in nature, physical interactions are an important part of relationships. The contagious and covert nature of COVID-19 however brings about a massive dilemma.

Meeting friends and loved ones physically helps maintain one’s mental health by building deeper connections and addressing loneliness. Doing so however puts both parties’ physical health at risk especially for vulnerable groups. This is especially difficult for those living alone and significantly more felt during festive periods.

For the middle to upper class, the easy and relatively inexpensive access to video calling tools has somewhat helped, but it will never be able to replace a face-to-face experience. Whereas for the underprivileged and poverty stricken, video call supported devices and internet access remains a luxury.

Love v Conformity

The Dilemma: Love v Conformity puts the spotlight on relationships that are considered shameful, taboo and undesirable by traditional societal values. Typical orthodox expectation of a normal relationship would involve a heterosexual relationship between a couple of opposite gender, of the same race and religion, with the man’s age always being older.

In some societies and cultures, it would also involve certain criteria such as bloodline and class. In the past, many would suppress their actual feelings and put on a front for the sake of family approval, societal expectations and professional career.

Nowadays many are boldly breaking the stereotypes and defying this archaic norm despite the risks involved from minor costs such as being a social pariah to extreme consequences such as prison or death. From same-gender relationships, to interracial marriages, from dual-religion relationships, to a lifelong commitment sans marriage, will love triumph conformity?