Success to the Revolution, 2021
Karen Tam, Success to the Revolution, 2021, embroidery on satin, 121.28 x 46.99 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Hugues Charbonneau, Montreal. Photo credit: Campbell River Art Gallery.
Banners can be found at many Chinatown community events, including celebrations, marches, funerary processions, and parades. Success to the Revolution, 2021, was inspired by recent protests against anti-Asian racism and calls for action, solidarity, and change. The tiger is a symbol of bravery, and as the character hu 虎 for tiger is a homophone for hu 護 “protection,” it is considered to hold protective powers, keeping away demons and frightening enemies. Since the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), winged or flying tigers have been associated with the armed forces, and these iconic creatures were featured on military banners in the seventeenth century. Like many of the works in this exhibition, this banner looks back to Chinese cultural traditions while calling for resilience in the face of current racist violence.
Gallery
Refuse to eat our bitterness, 2021
金山夢 Gold Mountain Dreams (Flag), 2021
Marquis of Lorne Arch, 1882
A good reputation endures forever 流芳百世, 2021
C.S. Wing Studio, 2020
Unidentified Chinese Man Lighting a Cigarette, pre-1929
the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times (Banner), 2020
Le Parc de la Pagode (Montréal), 1978, 2020
the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times (Audio), 2020
Coin-Suit, 2021
Armour Vest for female warrior, 2012
Wood slat and rod body armour, 2012
Ruinscape (Wallpaper), 2020
After the 1907 Chinatown Riots in Vancouver, 2020
Chinese Arch on Pender St. (Vancouver), 1912, 2020
Victoria Chinese Public School, June 5, 2020, 2020
56-58 Elizabeth St., Toronto, 1937, 2020
March 30, 2020 Attack, 2020
Longevity to Our Elders, 2020
Celebration in Nanaimo Chinatown, n.d.
Success to the Revolution, 2021
From Yiwu to you, 2015–present
From Yiwu to you (detail), 2015–present