Exhibition in Honour of the Year of the Dragon

From 29th January - 12th February 2012, in honour of the year of the dragon, the Museum of East Asian Art (MEAA) will hold an exhibition to celebrate the Lunar New Year and mark 2012 as the year of sports for the UK. It will be held in conjunction with the Lunar New Year Extravaganza and will showcase the latest art works by London based artist Lo Jhy-Yen and Bristol based artist Aili Purdy.

The dragon is the most auspicious animal in Chinese tradition, and the year of the dragon is seen by some to be the most important year. The dragon is the only mythical animal of the Chinese zodiac. Unlike dragons in Western culture, the Chinese dragon symbolises power and vitality. It is said that the Chinese dragon is a combination of different animals: it has the head of a pig, a buck’s horns, a snakes’ body, a fish’s scales, a horse’s mane and an eagle’s claws. It so happens that 2012, the “year of sports” for the UK falls on the year of the Dragon.

The artist, Lo Jhy-Yen(在殷), has used these themes as inspirations for his newly created paper-cut paintings that will be on display during the MEAA’s Lunar New Year Extravaganza. Using multiple layers of paper-cuts and then painting over them, Mr. Lo has created his own stunning contemporary style of paper-cuts. Of his two works that will be shown at the museum, one is an elegant water dragon, combining this year’s elemental force with the zodiac animal. The other portrays sign language, also made from multi-layered paper-cuts. The latter is a tribute to the paralympic games, and Lo Jhy-Yen wants to highlight the social inclusion of all people with different disabilities. Aili Purdy’s paintings have a more traditional theme and depict many of the auspicious images that would decorate homes during the Lunar New Year.