West Vancouver has become my second home, and I now feel a profound connection to this community. As a member, I am committed to enriching its cultural fabric by sharing my experiences and Chinese heritage. With this in mind, I created a site-specific installation titled Gateway, designed to connect China and Canada, inviting viewers to journey with me through the threads of time and space.

The installation features five symbolic "doors," each adorned with thousands of traditional liusu (tassels) from my hometown of Suzhou. Originally, liusu were handmade ornaments crafted from precious natural materials, cherished by the nobility in ancient times. Today, they have become accessible decorations for everyone. In this work, they represent not only a tangible link to my heritage but also the invisible threads connecting the past with the present and the East with the West.

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The colours of the liusu are inspired by the five elements of ancient Chinese cosmology: wood (green), fire (red), earth (brown), water (blue), and metal (yellow). These elements are believed to shape and balance the universe. By trimming the outlines of the city maps of Greater Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Suzhou, along with the iconic gates of Suzhou’s classical gardens, I invite viewers to step into this harmonious world, moving through layers of my memories and experiences. 

 

This installation is more than just a work of art, it is a shared journey—a dialogue between cultures. Each door invites viewers to enter an interconnected landscape where East meets West, personal memory merges with public space, and tradition flows into modernity. Through these layers, my neighbours are invited to traverse a unique cultural and emotional space, experiencing the complex beauty of connection and transformation.