Conformity

Acrylic on paper, 8.3" x 5.8"

2025

This painting presents an ordinary view of a road from my perspective as a migrant, exploring the difficulties I experienced due to migration. I moved to Birmingham two months ago and decided to utilise art-making to express my feelings related to this experience. Initially, several subjects came to mind, such as the card reader I struggled to use when I boarded public transport for the first time and the self-checkout in supermarkets. Eventually, I chose to depict the scene of crossing a road, as it represents the overall challenges I faced. Crossing roads is an everyday action that often goes unnoticed. When I first arrived in the UK, I noticed that the traffic lights here are different from those in my hometown. There is a small box in the middle of the pole with a button for pedestrians to push. After pressing the button, the word "wait" lights up. Initially, I stood still, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, just as I would in my hometown. However, I observed that many pedestrians crossed the road when no vehicles were approaching, even if the light was still red. When I remained standing while others moved, I felt out of place. To blend in, I began to follow their behaviour, despite my worries about breaking the law and the risk of accidents. This left me feeling uncomfortable. This experience reminds me of the concept of conformity in psychology, where individuals often change their beliefs, actions, or attitudes to align with group norms. There is a famous experiment in which participants were asked a question with an obvious answer. Despite knowing the correct answer, they changed their response when surrounded by others who deliberately gave an incorrect answer. In my case, having just arrived in a new city, I have yet to fully understand its norms and fear being judged negatively. As a result, I constantly observe how others behave and adjust my actions to fit in. During the creative process, I aimed to capture the tension between my instinct to conform and my desire to stay true to myself. The road represents not just a physical barrier, but also the emotional obstacles I face as a migrant. The grey colours and broad brushstrokes of the road echo the uncertainty and confusion I felt during the moments of hesitation. The creative process also allowed me to reflect on the absurdity of the situation. Those who cross the road during a red light swiftly leave the scene and pay no attention to me, while those who wait for the light do not view this behaviour as foolish. I realised it is merely my own obsession with others' perceptions that creates the discomfort. Ultimately, this painting serves as a reminder that a true sense of belonging does not come from copying others' behaviours.