Heartwarming paintings win netizens' favor

While many people have made videos to cheer on those working on the front lines of the fight against the latest COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, Chien Meishuang has been spending her time in lockdown at home in front of her easel, painting and writing simple heartwarming messages on her works.

The paintings, which she has posted on her social media accounts, are part of her Journal of the Pandemic Lockdown, a project she started two years ago. Her works have now won acclaim and have even been featured by news outlets such as Xinmin Evening News, Youth Daily and China News Service.

"We are all facing a difficult time when everybody is distressed from being cooped in their homes," Chien tells China Daily. "I simply wanted to spread some positivity and let others know that there is a silver lining amid the dark clouds."

The Taiwan native, who lives in Shanghai, is getting to know her neighbors better and being on the receiving end of their kindness.

"At the beginning (of the lockdown), I only asked them for some oil so that I could cook the beef that was provided by the municipal government. But they became very concerned about my well-being and started providing me with all kinds of food," says Chien, founder of LusiArt Cultural and Creative, a visual arts studio in the city's Tianzifang area.