Yu Yuanfan

aimee3031@126.com

IN around 10 to 20 minutes, a palm-sized watercolor sketch depicting Shenzhen’s landscape or happenings in the city is rendered in Li Zishen’s hands. Instead of taking these sketches back home as most sketchers usually do, Li chooses to hide them where he paints them for people interested in bringing them home to pick up, a way he shares with people he doesn’t know the bits and pieces of his impressions of the city.

An architect by education, Li worked in architecture after graduating from university. Tired from long work hours, which is the norm of most architecture firms, he quit his architect job in 2021 and ventured into the path of a freelance illustrator.

The idea of mini sketch “hide and seek,” or drawing mini sketches about Shenzhen and then hiding them near where they are painted as little gifts for others to pick up, sprang up earlier this year. On social media platform Xiaohongshu, Li saw another illustrator who spent most of his time all year round traveling in different cities nationwide sharing the sketches he drew and left them in the places he had visited along his journey.

“Back then, there were already a few illustrators living in other cities trying to do the same thing and share it online, but I didn’t see anyone in Shenzhen do this,” he recalled in an interview with Shenzhen Daily. “It happens that I have the habit of sketching, so I thought to myself, maybe I can try to start this in Shenzhen.”

Apart from a few cases where he has decided a destination, most of Li’s mini sketches are done randomly. After finishing sketches, he will hide them in corners where he did them, and post photos on Xiaohongshu on how they look like, about the place where people can find them, and a few lines about his feelings and thoughts at that time. He will then stay around for a while to make sure cleaners do not remove his sketches.

So far, he has given out over 60 mini sketches. Their subjects include not only well-known urban landmarks such as KK100, DJI Sky City, and the China Resources Headquarters Tower, but also lesser known places such as the marriage registration office in Xiangmi Park and Jinxiu Garden in Huanggang Village, events including the Shenzhen Bougainvillea Show in Lianhua Hill Park and the “Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles” exhibition at the new Shenzhen Art Museum, as well as random scenes such as a barista making coffee.

Under Li’s posts about the mini sketch “hide and seek,” netizens who have successfully found a sketch will eagerly share their happiness. Others will chat with him about the places he has visited, or ask if he has any plan visiting a place in their vicinity.

“My feeling is that many Shenzheners like this way of interaction, as quite often the sketches are found within a short time,” he said. “I think they like it because the scenes in my sketches are related to their life. Through my illustrations, they get to rediscover a place or an event they may already be familiar with from another person’s perspective. Although my impressions on this place or event may be quite different from theirs, it still helps form a kind of emotional bond between us.”

He added that one of the netizens that left him a deep impression is a female living abroad who, during her short stay back in China, managed to pick up one of his sketches. She thanked him for making such a meaningful souvenir possible.

A Shenzhen resident since 2017, Li said sketching has been a good way in helping him discover more about this megacity, which he felt entirely unfamiliar with in the beginning.

“As for mini sketch ‘hide and seek,’ I think this art is a good way that introduces Shenzhen to more people while also introducing myself as an illustrator.”