THE LION - LONDON CHINATOWN PUBLIC SCULPTURE COMMISSION
Tsai & Yoshikawa’s The Lion sculpture received the runner-up award in the prestigious Marsh Award for Excellence In Public Sculpture 2009 in UK.
The Lion is a striking contemporary interpretation of a traditional Chinese symbol of greeting and guardianship. This exciting iconic sculpture was chosen as the winning proposal of the International Wardour Street Sculpture Commission, organized by Chinatown Arts Space (CAS), with sponsorship from corporate landlords Shaftesbury PLC.
The sculpture is comprised of thousands of colourful, individually laser cut pieces of Perspex; each piece represents the varied and diverse range of East Asians living in the UK today. Assembling this diversity of shapes and colours into ‘The Lion’ symbolizes the aspiration to unify the disparate elements of the East Asian communities into a strong, harmonious whole.
‘The Lion’ was formally unveiled on 8th April 2009 where it will remain for the next 10 years on the corner of Wardour Street and Shaftesbury Avenue.
London, 2009
360 cm (H) x 145 cm (W) x 115 cm (D)
Perspex, Jesmonite, Steel