Treasure Box Lantern
Yen-Chun Lu
The Treasure Box fits into the palm of your hand, yet encompasses a whole world.
Inside the box, we find two big cats. At the foot of the mountain, the leopard cat of Taiwan makes a home out of the wilder edges of agricultural farmland. On the top of the mountain, deep within the woods, the lynx from Canada sits, a guardian of the forest. Both these cats are part of the tiger family, both important to a balanced ecosystem. Both are becoming or already endangered species.
As it is the Year of the Tiger, these two big cats live inside our Treasure Box, a visual reminder of what we should treasure. Even though these cats live on separate continents, they—just like us—live together on this good old earth. We put these cats inside the box so that we can protect them, but the box also contains trees, grassfields, and mountains.
As you hold the box in your hands, the box holds the rich environment we all coexist in: everything within the box is our home. In the Year of the Tiger, we present you the Treasure Box, and encourage you to cherish these cats with us, together!
These Treasure Box Lanterns are available to order on our online Lunar Store: store.acsea.ca
Note: The lantern itself is free of cost, but interested parties must pay for shipping.
About the Artist
A professional paper artist, known for her simple but sophisticated and creative crafts. She recently curated the exhibition to showcase the profound bond between the local farmers in Taiwan and the land itself, as well as the relationship between food and the natural environment, allowing people to reflect and be aware of the way we eat in order to drive change.
Inspired by the Pop-Up Tunnel book, she has used her talents to build “the way back home to Gongliao” as a reflection of herself, nature and the land. She has also participated in various events, such as World Food Day and Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan alongside her crafts. She believes that art has the power to unite everyone, and utilizes talents to make a contribution to society.
It is not difficult to discern how her beloved Taiwan influences her works. She values the land she grew up in, and uses her creations to find the connections and similarities between Taiwan and Canada.
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