The We Are a Family exhibition at Robson Plaza includes 10 glorious Lunar New Year lanterns lighting up the night. All but one of them have recognizable horses as part of their designs. It makes sense, given that this artistic display is timed for the arrival of the Year of the Horse.
But one of these Lunar New Year lanterns, Move as One, is an outlier. There is no obvious elongated equine head, muscular horse’s build, or long and bushy tail. Rather, Mustaali Raj’s illustration features various geometric shapes.
“Move as One reimagines the spirit of the horse as a creature of endurance, movement, and freedom translated into pattern and geometry,” Raj states on The Lantern City website. “The artwork features interlocking horse forms where steps, pixels, and symmetry evoke rhythm and momentum. The repeated horses appear in motion yet in balance, embodying the courage to move forward together through turbulence.”
The Asian-Canadian Special Events Association has curated We Are Family and four other exhibitions of lanterns around Vancouver as part of The Lantern City project. These annual lantern displays are transforming Lunar New Year into a distinctly Canadian celebration, enabling diverse cultures to embrace this holiday.
Artistic practice rooted in conceptual thinking
Raj, a self-described third culture kid, has made a mark in the art and design world by standing apart from the Western European aesthetic. This is apparent in his lantern design at Robson Plaza.
“The overall composition draws from textile traditions and digital architectures, merging ancient and contemporary forms of storytelling,” Raj notes on The Lantern City website. “Each horse becomes a vessel of collective strength in the face of uncertainty. Move as One reminds us that courage is not solitary; it is shared, patterned through the connections we hold with one another.”
Over the years, he has received several awards. Last year, his work was “highly commended” at the World Illustration Awards.
On his website, Raj mentions that his artistic practice is rooted in conceptual thinking. Moreover, he states that it is “geared towards reinterpreting traditional motifs in contemporary and graphic activations”.
“Patterns and script have layers of symbolism, histories, and hidden narratives, which continue to be more than just marks on a surface,” the artist declares. “It’s not unlike language in many ways, how the origins get blurred over time.”
To learn more about Mustaali Raj and see more of his art, visit his website or follow him on Instagram @mraj. The Asian-Canadian Special Events Association is presenting We Are a Family at Robson Plaza (800 Robson Street) until March 9. For more information, visit the website.
Visit the Lantern City website to learn about the other exhibitions. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and Instagram @PancouverMedia.
