"The Shadow of Your Smile" is a mixed media art installation that aims to inspire the restoration of genuine human smiles in the age of social media. As we spend more time scrolling through our phones, we see countless smiling faces on our screens. But do these smiles truly make us happy? Do we envy these people or feel sorry for them, seeing now the shadows of their smiles? With social media's performative nature and individuals' ability to present a curated version of themselves, this artwork explores the authenticity of our digital smiles and whether they have the power to evoke happiness in others.

The installation features a 5x5 feet table (or bigger) filled with human figures of different sizes, each painted with an enamel smile. These figures represent ordinary people who, while praying, crying, or meditating for their desires, feel compelled to keep their smiles staying on. Surrounding them are numerous smartphones, each continuously scrolling through the painted smiles of these figures. Amidst the smartphones is one device painted with a smiling face, which reflects the viewer's own face through its camera and invites them to engage with this emerging social phenomenon.

*All iPhone 3 in this installation were kindly donated by Dr. Geri Gay (Cornell).