Excerpt from Modern Art No. 190, "Artist Spotlight — Interview with Shi Jin-Hua":

"During my first two years of university, I had a series of 'Jails' (1986-87) and 'Tightrope Walkers' (1987-88). Why did I draw jails? For two reasons: one, my father was the director of a juvenile detention center, and my childhood and adolescence often involved playing basketball in the detention center's court, so I frequently saw students with shaved heads undergoing military-like drills. The other reason was due to a physical illness; I became withdrawn, like someone sitting in a jail cell, constantly wondering if I should 'get out.'

Why draw tightrope walkers? It was about blood sugar balance—both high and low blood sugar could kill you—and I was only 17 or 18 at the time, completely unable to cope with that fear and oppressive pressure. Furthermore, there was low self-esteem, like 'Should I pursue this girl? Am I afraid she'll reject me?' I even wondered during a breakup, 'Was it because of my body that she rejected me?' I imprisoned myself like that for many years. Later, whether that was the reason or not no longer mattered, because I had already decided to make a fresh start. So, a lot of my creations are about resolving my own internal conflicts and issues. As for expressiveness and artistry, that's an artist's fundamental duty; we just constantly strive for excellence.

During that period, I drew many sketches and drafts, relatively few oil paintings, and hardly completed any formal works. I'm very fortunate I didn't paint them back then. Recently, I looked back at those drafts; a few sketches show people in jail cells, but in a meditative, tranquil posture. I didn't know why I drew them that way at the time, but now it all makes perfect sense to me. I feel I now have a higher vantage point and a greater distance from which to view the human condition. After 30 years, the excitement and bitterness have faded, impermanence still presses on, and the physical body remains confined, but meditation can transcend iron bars and concrete. I will use a tube of oil paint to create that prison space, with the body of the tin tube finally sitting cross-legged within the jail. The 'Tightrope Walker' sketches are even more profound; none of them had heads back then. Isn't the paint tube, once its plastic cap is opened, essentially a tightrope walker moving on a tightrope? I feel this direction of practice is the destiny of 'Jails' and 'Tightrope Walkers,' and I must complete it. I just never imagined it would take over 30 years to discover. Have you noticed? They are still 'Pen Walking' concepts after all."

節錄自《現代美術》No.190〈藝術家特寫—石晉華訪談〉：

大學一二年級時期的繪畫，我有一系列的「監牢」（1986-87），還有「走索者」（1987-88）。我為什麼畫監牢呢？兩個原因，一個是我爸爸是少年輔育院的院長，我的少年、青少年常常是在輔育院籃球場打球的，所以我很容易看到剃光頭、像軍隊出操訓練的學生；另一個是因為身體疾病的關係，我把自己封閉起來，像是一個坐在監牢裡的人，一直想著要不要出獄呢？另外，為什麼畫走鋼索？就是血糖平衡的問題──血糖高和低都會要你的命──我那時才17、8歲，根本應付不了這種恐懼及苦悶的壓力。再者，還有自卑，要不要追這個女孩？怕她拒絕？我失戀時也懷疑「是不是因為我的身體，她拒絕我？」就這樣自囚了好多年，後來是或不是這原因我都不在乎了，因為已經決定要作一個全新的出發。所以很多創作都是在解決我自己內部的衝突和問題。至於表現性與藝術性，那是藝術家的本份，我們就是不斷的精益求精吧。

那時期我畫了很多素描與草圖，油畫相對畫得要少，正式作品沒完成幾件。我很慶幸當時沒畫進去，我前陣子回頭看那些草圖，有幾張素描畫人在牢房中，但姿勢是靜坐的姿勢，安安靜靜的──。我也不知道當時為什麼要這麼畫，可是現在對我而言一切都很明白。我覺得我現在有一個更高的高度與更遠的距離來看人類生命的處境，經過30年，激動與苦悶都淡悠了，無常依舊步步進逼，肉身仍被禁錮，但冥想可以超越鐵欄與水泥。我會用一管油畫顏料畫出那個監獄的空間，最後那個錫管的身體盤坐著在監牢裡。「走索者」的素描更妙，當時都沒有畫頭，打開塑膠蓋後的顏料錫管，不就是在鋼索上行走的走索者？我覺得這個實踐的方向是「監牢」與「走索者」的天命，我必須完成。只是想不到，花了30多年的時間發現。你有沒有發現？他們其實還是「走筆」的概念。