In the context of the global floods of 2024, artist Forest Young visited flood-stricken areas, collecting items left behind by affected communities to create his oil painting installations, The Traces I Left Behind in This World series. Each piece centers around a massive shoe sole as the primary visual element, with scattered collages of post-disaster remnants such as children's shoes, old toothbrushes, and bottle caps. Through these compositions, the artist invites viewers to experience the powerlessness and solitude humanity faces in the wake of natural disasters while honoring the heroic flood relief efforts of people worldwide. He poses a poignant question to the audience: "What traces have we left behind in this world?"
