The official opening to my exhibition 'LUCKY RABBIT' was a really wonderful night that I was able to celebrate with close family and friends who have been an important part of my creative journey. I really can't stress enough how important it is for children to be encouraged and feel supported to follow their dreams. I also invited my art teacher from high school whom I hadn't seen in 20 years!
My latest series of Chinese Zodiac is inspired by various handicraft techniques of China, particularly the well-known Chinese blue and white ceramics (qinghua), which defines the elegant colour palette used here.
The exhibition is divided into 6 sections where you can learn about the various customs and traditions of the Lunar New Year including the Lion Dance.
All visitors are encouraged to make a wish for 2023 to hang on the wishing tree which I designed and is a lovely part of the show.
Spin our Zodiac Wheel to discover your Chinese Zodiac Sign.
A big thank you must to go to Mark Wang, the CEO of the Chinese Museum for inviting me to curate the exhibition.
And also to the wonderful museum staff - Rosemary, Alex, Erin, Tiffany, Bobby, Karina and team who helped and shared their valuable expertise. And YY for her design, Bruce for the translations and Emilia for research.
As a child growing up, Chinese New Year was one of my favourite holidays because it meant we got lots of cash and had great dinners with the family but I never really understood all the customs and traditions associated with this popular festival. I would've loved to have had an exhibition like this that we could visit as a family growing up.
Here is a video of the exhibition - click on image below:
The exhibition is on until 14 March. If you're in Melbourne, please visit and have some dumplings afterwards. My favourites so far are Shanghai Street and Secret Kitchen which are within walking distance.