07/04/2025
📍Las Tunas Dr. x Oak Ave., Temple City
🎨CELEBRATING TEMPLE CITY THROUGH ART
Thank you 11:11 Projects and Temple City for the collaboration on this meaningful utility box project!
Temple City is the home of the Camellia Festival, vibrant wild red-crowned parrots, and a thriving Asian American community that shapes the city’s unique cultural identity. My artwork portrays these elements in the traditional Chinese paper cutting art style, with the words “Temple City” featured in English and Chinese characters. Paper cutting or jianzhi (剪纸) was originated in China and has long been used to decorate on walls and windows as symbols of happiness, prosperity, and good fortune. Many Asian cultures including Japan, Indonesia, and India also developed their own unique paper cutting traditions and storytelling through art.
This piece is a recognition and an acknowledgment of the Asian community’s contribution to Temple City. As a Chinese American, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to share and preserve my cultural heritage. I believe education and representation are powerful tools in challenging prejudice. Often times, racism and discrimination are rooted in misunderstanding, lack of communication, and a shortage of empathy. Diversity brings vibrancy, strength, and richness to a community. Through this artwork, I hope to foster cultural awareness, promote unity, inspire curiosity about Asian traditions, and celebrate the diverse stories that shape the city.
#天普市
