This vector drawing is the outcome of an elective course led by Wan and Joris at Ghent University that explored a fragment of the fast-changing landscape of Nanhai District in the Pearl River Delta, Wan’s ancestral home.

The selected area, measuring 5 by 3 kilometres, was tackled by eighteen master’s students who used satellite images as an underlayer and drawing as a tool to bridge the gap between China and Belgium. As their enquiring eyes wandered over the landscape, themes and patterns were picked up, while the activity of drawing recorded, questioned, and affirmed their findings.

This approach relies on the tacit knowledge the students have gained during their studies: to draw is a process of selecting, omitting, isolating, ordering. It directs the gaze and prompts questions. Performing it demands precision and deliberation.
 
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Joris Kerremans and Hong Wan Chan both teach at the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Ghent University in Belgium. Alongside their teaching activities, Joris also runs an architectural practice, and Wan is completing a PhD on her changing ancestral landscape in China. Together with their students, Joris and Wan explore peri-urban landscapes in both China and Belgium through the medium of drawing.