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Sumei

“Sumei” was the name of my maternal grandmother, born in 1928 and departed in 2010. Owing to a taciturn disposition among the senior members of my family, the details surrounding her remained elusive until the occasion of her cremation, revealing to me for the first time the veritable constituting her true name.

What prompts me to delve deeper into my grandmother’s life?

In the intersection of my life with my grandmother, I once felt a void in not knowing her lucid self. However, as I embarked on the extensive journey of exploring our family history since 2022, conducting interviews with those who knew her in clarity, tracing her footsteps, and discovering the fragments she left behind on this earth, I realized that conversing with her directly was unnecessary; I had already known her. Be it in her lucidity or madness, she wholeheartedly provided nurturing love and protection to our family.

I aspire to document the life of this woman, for within her, I see my past, my future—a flesh-and-blood human navigating the challenges and oppressions of society, wounded by her own sensitivity and resilience, resisting societal norms until her mental structure collapsed. She remained indomitable; her defiance leading to the fragmentation of her psyche. In that era, those who “survived” either chose to forget the past or to numb themselves, moving onto the next speculative game.

The documentation of this process holds significance not just for me or my family but, through a feminine perspective, delving into history unveils a narrative starkly different from grand historical accounts—a narrative more authentic, reflecting the depths of humanity.

I feel the need to revisit the life journey of this woman repeatedly, as these experiences provide me with more points of reference. Through these references, I gain a clearer understanding of my origins and potential destinations—a decision that rests solely with me, not dictated by male elders or partners.

The birth chart of Sumei : Acrylic, Mixed media on wall, 3*3(m)
Sumei : Acrylic, pencil, charcoal, wall painting, 20*3(m)
Untitled(Portrait of Sumei) : capsules, wooden balls, dimensions variable
Waves,Soliloquy : video 14:02 , dimensions variable

Timeline of Su Mei’s Life

Born on May 21, 1928, at midnight in Wenmingpu Town(In Chinese, it means “civilized town”.), Qiyang County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province.
(2)1930
1930s-1940s – Both parents passed away.
(3)Around1940
Around 1940 – She and her siblings were adopted by their aunt.
(4)1946
1946 – Married in Wenmingpu Town, Qiyang County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province.
(5)1947
1947 – Gave birth to her first child, a daughter.
Her eldest daughter passed away due to suffocation while she was inexperienced in childcare, leading to a tragic incident.
(7)1948
1948 – Gave birth to her second child, a son.
(8)1949
1949 – Gave birth to her third child, a daughter.
(9)1950
1950 – Husband enrolled at Guangxi University, prompting her to move to Guilin, Guangxi, with her son and daughter.
Her younger brother joined the military academy, later sent to the first campaign of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
Her cousin was arrested for  a mistaken slogan during the resistance in the the first campaign of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, leading to mental illness and labor reform.
(10)1953
1953 – Her daughter, afflicted with rickets, was taken back to Hunan Province at the age of 4 by her sister-in-law and later passed away under unclear circumstances.
(11)1954
1954 – After her husband’s graduation, they settled in Yan Shan, Guilin, with their son.
(12)1956
1956 – Gave birth to her fourth child, a daughter.
(13)1958
1958 – Relocated with her family to Nanning, residing at the Teaching Experimental Farm of the Guangxi College of Agriculture.
(14)1959
1959 – Gave birth to her fifth child, a daughter.
(15)1961
1961 – Gave birth to her sixth child, a daughter.
(16)1962
1962 – Gave birth to her seventh child, a son.
(17)1962
1962 – Underwent sterilization surgery.
(18)1963
1963 – Experienced postpartum depression, leading to self-talk and the initiation of tranquilizers under doctor’s guidance.
(19) June 1966 – The Cultural Revolution began, and her husband was denounced as a reactionary academic authority. Their home was ransacked, paraded through the streets, publicly criticized, and the door and windows of their residence plastered with big-character posters. Various factions rose against them, with the military representative issuing orders. Subsequently, She was taken away by the public security bureau on charges of “counterrevolution.” She was then detained in the Nanning detention center. Inside the detention center, her mental state deteriorated drastically, leading to hunger strikes and acts of vandalism.
December 1966 – Her eldest son rescued her from detention and took her to Xiangya Hospital Psychiatric Department in Changsha City, Hunan, Province, diagnosed with schizophrenia, being denied hospital admission due to a background as a landlord.
January 1967 – After a month of outpatient electroconvulsive therapy at Xiangya Hospital, her eldest son took her to recuperate at the home of her second brother in Wenmingpu Town, Qiyang County, Yongzhou City, Hunan province (She is only allowed to return to the place of her birth.).
August 1968 – Her eldest son accompanied by her two sisters and one brother, brought Su Mei back from their home in Hunan to Nanning, where her condition improved.
End of 1968 – Experienced another bout of mental illness. Her second daughter accompanied her for treatment at the Guangxi Hospital Of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
(24)1970
1970 – Moved outside the Guangxi Agricultural College to manage her mental health, later returning to the college after 1982.
Over the next decade after 1970, Su Mei was repeatedly hospitalized in Nanning due to psychiatric relapses.
(26)1987
1987 – Moved to Hainan, crossing from Nanning through Xuwen Port in Guangdong Province on a large truck with the family’s belongings to live in a detached courtyard within the provincial government compound in Haikou.
(27)1990
1990 – Husband filed for divorce and remarriage. Court granted the divorce.
(28)1990
1990 – Hospitalized for treatment at Anning Hospital（Psychiatric Hospital） in Haikou, Hainan (medication and electroconvulsive therapy).
(29)1991-19
1991-1993 – Moved in with her youngest daughter, residing in the dormitory building of the Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology.
(30)1990
1990 – Su Mei was relocated to a residential area in the government compound in Haikou, Hainan. She frequently wandered away but was brought back home by her children.
(31)2006
2006 – Fell and fractured her pelvis, leading to exacerbated health issues, inability to move, and reliance on others for care. Her eldest daughter stayed with her, but she refused food and required intravenous nutrition in the hospital.
January 13, 2010 – Su Mei suddenly said, “I am going up to sky ,” instructing her daughter to inform her ex-husband (daughter did not relay the message).
January 14, 2010 – Su Mei passed away at the age of 82, shedding a tear as she took her last breath.