A child’s gaze can hold the weight of a world unraveling, and in Baby, Don’t Look, it does just that.

Wanning Liao’s unforgettable drawing arrests the viewer in a single, breathless moment: a small girl clutches her doll amid the crumbling remains of war. Her eyes, wide, sorrowful, and far too knowing, pierce through time and circumstance, demanding that we not turn away. Selected for the Here and Now 2025 international smart online exhibition by Gallerium, this emotionally searing work offers more than a snapshot of conflict. It is an indictment, a prayer, and a plea all at once.

Rendered on softly textured green-toned sketch paper with colored charcoal, the piece is both tender and devastating. The child’s grip is tight, almost adult—an instinctive attempt to protect what little remains of comfort. The battered teddy bear in her arms reflects the broken surroundings behind her: skeletal ruins, rising smoke, and a world where safety has vanished. Faint, ghostlike balloons drift upward, perhaps remnants of a birthday now forgotten or dreams that no longer belong to this world.

Wanning Liao’s artistic voice in this piece is unmistakable. Drawing from her deep academic foundation—she holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts—and years of international recognition, Liao demonstrates masterful control over both form and feeling. Her ability to layer emotion into a limited palette speaks volumes. The unusual choice of green as a backdrop lends the scene a dreamlike calm, a quiet that feels at odds with the destruction, deepening the emotional dissonance.

Every line in the drawing serves the story. From the child’s tangled hair to her oversized garment adorned with faded butterflies, details abound with symbolic weight. The butterfly, long a symbol of transformation, fragility, and hope, subtly echoes the child’s emotional state—a spirit not yet broken, but trembling on the edge. The color choices, minimal yet deliberate, pull focus where it matters most: on the child’s eyes, hands, and the fragile grip on something that once brought joy.

Baby, Don’t Look, resonates deeply within the theme of Here and Now, a platform dedicated to art that responds to the present moment. Liao does not simply illustrate a scene; she immerses us in the emotional atmosphere of it. Her drawing is not a political statement but a profoundly human one, reminding us that behind every statistic and headline is a child who has lost something irreplaceable.

With accolades such as the INNOART PRIZE Silver Award and honors from institutions in New York and Paris, Wanning Liao is recognized for her ability to blend historical reference with contemporary emotion. In Baby, Don’t Look, she delivers more than a work of art—she offers an unforgettable visual memory that lodges itself in the conscience.