Xijia (Romee) Lai

Pressing on toward the goal

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13–14)

“Dance once consumed my entire life; it shaped my body and deeply influenced my soul, though much of that influence carried heaviness and pain. In the past, the dance studio was a symbol of oppression and suffocation to me, its windows seeming as if they could swallow me whole, leaving me with no escape.This painting places my past and present side by side—the dance studio of those years and my present self at the easel. These two moments feel like different points on the same timeline, parallel yet ultimately intersecting. While painting, I deliberately wore clothing reminiscent of my dancing days, as if engaging in a dialogue with my former self.Once, the light streaming through those windows filled me with unease; now, that light symbolizes life and hope, for it is the light of truth, and the truth has set me free. Looking back, I know I have stepped out of the darkness and into the light. This work is not only an act of artistic creation but also a testimony of life—declaring that I am no longer bound by the past, but pressing on toward the goal, answering God’s heavenly call and pursuing His prize.”