Lantern Stories - Yu Wen Wu
Photo: David L. Ryan
Lanterns represent light and guide the way forward, illuminating surrounding darkness. From the humble beginnings as a candle flame surrounded by bamboo, silk or paper, the lantern has become an integral part of celebrations that foster hope and pave the way to a brighter future.
Lantern Stories celebrates Boston Chinatown’s vibrant community. Thirty lanterns were created for this public art installation to illuminate the district’s history of immigration, its culture and resiliency. The images on the lanterns relate the long and fraught history of Chinese immigration in the United States. From early arrivals during the California Goldrush in the 1850’s to this current unprecedented moment, new immigrants and native born Asian Americans have confronted inequities on multiple levels. Other lantern images celebrate culture – art, calligraphy, music and performance, as well as the community’s strong commitment to education, entrepreneurship, and social justice. The colors used throughout are central in Asian culture: red, which symbolizes happiness and good fortune, and gold, symbolizing prosperity.
Artist Bio
Yu-Wen Wu is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in Boston. Born in Taipei Taiwan, Wu’s subjectivity as an immigrant is central to her artwork. Arriving at an early age, her experiences have shaped her work in areas of migration, examining issues of displacement, arrival, assimilation, and the shape of identity in a new country. At the crossroads of art, science, politics and social issues, her wide range of projects include large-scale drawings, site-specific video installations, community-engaged practices, and public art.
