The light rail dragon by Andrew Yee 2024

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This dragon is happy to take you on a ride. Catch a glimpse of the colourful light rail dragon and hop on board during the festival.

Artist Statement:

My artwork intends to capture generations of Haymarket's community, tied together by the idealism of the dragon. With the announcement of Chinatown's $44 million upgrade, the potential for change is brimming with optimism. It is the perfect time to recognise the community's storied history and carry its significance into the future.

In the zodiac, the dragon represents power, vitality, and romance. For my work, I want to use the dragon and its traits to symbolise confidence in traversing the future by embracing the past. My design portrays three children playing alongside the dragon. They each represent an influential time for Haymarket, with the first child being the establishment of Chinese businesses and residents in the early 20th century, the second symbolising the ease of permanent residencies for Chinese immigrants and the promotion of Chinatown as a tourist destination in the late 1980s, and the third characterising the progressive generation of the present.

The Lunar New Year has always been one of the most inclusive periods on the calendar. I want this inclusivity not just to regard present members of the Asian community but those who have come and yet to come. By recognising this we can have a deeper relationship with our own identities and pass on this sentiment to future generations. Seeing this image sailing across Haymarket will promote a contemporary understanding of Sydney's Asian identity in one of its most celebrated suburbs. It will signify that no person involved with the community will be unheard, forgotten or left behind.

About the artist:

Andrew Yee (b. 1989, Sydney) is a multidisciplinary artist working across illustration, video, installation and podcasting. Yee's formative years spent in Sydney's East Ryde district created a disconnect with his surroundings, searching for his identity through a consumption of 2000s manga, pro-wrestling, the spectacle of K-pop and the emotional draw of music. His visual practice offers a meditative glimpse into concepts of personal identity and emotions often crafted through imaginative narrative forms presented in an idiosyncratic, surreal and comic- inspired style.

Stand Back, Look Out and Play it Safe

Please enjoy this artwork from afar. We urge you to play it safe when travelling on and around the light rail.

Tips for staying safe around the light rail:

1. Only cross at a pedestrian crossing

2. Stay clear of the yellow line when walking near the tracks

3. Don't be distracted by your phone

4. Hold the hand of any children you're travelling with

5. Be aware when wearing headphones, light rail vehicles are quite and may not be heard

6. Stay off the tracks