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In Chinese lore, the dragon was a divine and mythical creature with powers to bring rain, floods, and even hurricanes to a land. Along with this ability, the Chinese dragon symbolised power, strength, excellence and good luck. Inspired by this legendary creature, Belgium born artist, Phil Akashi decided to work on a Street Art project called Legend of the Dragon / “龍的傳說”.
In this project, Phil Akashi represents the dragon as a spiritual symbol of the Chinese unity and pride for the country. The artworks are composed of traditional seals imprints with Chinese characters “龍的傳人“ / descendants of the dragon.
Legend of the Dragon. Photo © Phil Akashi
19th century Chinese seal. Photo © Phil Akashi
“By reinventing the use of Asian seals with a broad range of media, I use the power of language with a trans-cultural and conceptual approach to question and see the world differently. It is also an exciting way to escape the comfort zone and to sustain a very old tradition with passion, emotion and innovation.” Phil Akashi
In modern China, the dragon remains a strong, profound and respected symbol of strength and prosperity. Chinese around the world, consider the dragon their ancestor and proudly proclaim themselves: “龍的傳人“ / descendants of the dragon.
This Street Art project will be completed through nine chapters in nine Asian cities during 2015. The number 9 is considered lucky in Chinese culture. This is also reflected in the depiction of the Chinese Dragon, composed of nine different animal resemblances.
Chapter one for Phil Akashi is in Hong Kong.The first Street Art piece has been created the ninth of March 2015 at Deepwater Bay Beach.
Legend of the Dragon. Photo © Phil Akashi
Legend of the Dragon. Photo © Phil Akashi
Legend of the Dragon. Photo © Phil Akashi
The second mural can be found at Wong Chuk Hang (South Island Cultural District SICD).
Legend of the Dragon. Photo © Phil Akashi
Legend of the Dragon. Photo © Phil Akashi
Legend of the Dragon. Photo © Phil Akashi
The artist used traditional Chinese paper cutting technique (or “剪纸“／ Jianzhi) and aerosol spray to bridge tradition and modernity. He also chose to mix colours such as black and blue, black and white to express the idea of diversity in the contemporary Chinese unity.
Check back at a later date to keep up to date with Phils whereabouts with this awesome project.
Photo courtesy @philakashi
