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Taipei

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We all have ways to defend ourselves. Artist Su Yu-xian is no exception, even though his method is unconventional.

Bullied as a child for being small, Su found in his anatomy a weapon that would scare away even the toughest predator.

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Conveniently stored behind his molar was a permanent blister that he'd suck up when the occasion called for protection. The blister would inevitably pop under pressure, releasing a good amount of blood to squirt at his aggressors, much like the squid with its ink.

Su laughs as he says that spitting blood and playing dead helped carry him safely through his school days.

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, blood has become a recurrent theme in his work. At the start of his career, Su visited hospital on a regular basis to keep his terminally ill mother company. There he saw patients suffering different diseases and, inevitably, death.

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