This part of two related posts shares photos, quotes, and links about the artwork in Chin Park.

“The artist invited multigenerational Chinatown community members to collectively design the dragon’s visual form, colors, and magical qualities through a workshop series.“(quote from Rose Kennedy Greenway, Year of the Dragon, Ponnapa Prakkamakul )

“To reflect the multicultural nature of Boston’s Chinatown community, Prakkamakul painted one side of the dragon’s head sculpture in shades of blue, representing the character of the water dragon, while the other side was rendered in reds and oranges, representing the character of the fire dragon.” (quote from Rose Kennedy Greenway, Year of the Dragon, Ponnapa Prakkamakul )

“The project consists of two parts: the dragon’s “head”, an interactive dragon made from plywood engraved with quotes from community members and featuring interactive play elements, and the dragon’s “body”, a vinyl ground mural collaboratively created with A-VOYCE (Asian Voice of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment).“(quote from Year of the Dragon Press Release, 2024 )

“Keeping joy and play at the center of her work, the artist invites viewers to engage with the installation in multiple ways: you can walk up the sculpture as if riding on the dragon, explore neighborhood surroundings through a rainbow-colored kaleidoscope feature, or play with the built-in hand drum.” (quote from Rose Kennedy Greenway, Year of the Dragon, Ponnapa Prakkamakul )

“By sharing personal stories, drawings, and ideas, community members envisioned this unique dragon and the superpowers they hope the dragon brings to Boston Chinatown in the year 2024. These handwritten blessings are etched onto the inside panels of the sculpture in both English and Chinese calligraphy. “(quote from Year of the Dragon Press Release, 2024 )

*“Ponnapa Prakkamakul is a multidisciplinary artist and landscape architect based in
Massachusetts. As a third-generation, ethnically Chinese person born in Thailand, she relocated to Hong Kong and then the United States in 2009. Inspired by her multinational background, Ponnapa’s work explores the relationship between humans and their environment, focusing on cultural displacement and a sense of belonging. Using found materials foraged from landscapes and stories collected from local communities, Ponnapa aims to create place-specific artwork that genuinely represents their identity and cultivates a stronger sense of place.” (quote from Year of the Dragon Press Release, 2024 )

KEY RESOURCES: Rose Kennedy Greenway, Year of the Dragon, Ponnapa Prakkamakul , Year of the Dragon Press Release, 2024 , Auntie Kay and Uncle Frank Chin park in Chinatown, map; PONNAPA PRAKKAMAKUL website