Artist loses memories, retains love for Dunhuang Grottoes
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Chang Shana, a 95-year-old artist from China, is losing her memories to Alzheimer’s disease, but remains deeply connected to Dunhuang, the city where her father researched ancient Buddhist murals at the Mogao Grottoes.
Born in France to artist parents, Chang Shana moved with her family to Dunhuang in 1943 when her father became director of the National Dunhuang Art Research Institute.
Despite a difficult life among the desert dunes, she found inspiration in the cave paintings, meticulously copying them to preserve the art and develop her own skills. Chang Shana later studied art in the United States, but returned to China in 1950 and dedicated her life to design and art education, becoming president of the Central Academy of Arts and Design.
She contributed to major national events by designing gifts and artwork, while also documenting the motifs within the Mogao Grottoes in a book that remains influential today. Though she experienced personal loss with her mother’s departure and the death of her second husband, Chang Shana always returned to the artistic legacy of Dunhuang. Now, as her memories fade, her connection to the Mogao Grottoes persists, bringing her joy whenever she sees images of the region.
