Kwai Chai Hong, a Cantonese colloquial slang which means “Little Demon Alley”, in Chinatown Kuala Lumpur celebrates the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival with exhibit of eight unique designs of Jade Rabbit artworks by eight local artists.
The artists who have their unique styles and great passions for their work are Nini Marini, Master Siow Ho Phiew, Alice Chang, Habsah Abang Saufi, Pamela Tan, Drewfunk, Shakir and Farah Mohan.
The team behind Bai Chuan Management, a space management company, has chosen the theme ‘Hops and Dreams’ to celebrate the virtue of a mythical iconic character affectionately referred to as ‘The Jade Rabbit’.
This popular celestial animal is related to the legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival and is a symbol of righteousness, self-sacrifice, loyalty, intelligence, patience, companionship, unity, and love. The Chinese believe that the immortal jade rabbit is a companion to Goddess Chang E who lives on the moon.
Each of the artists was given a plain rabbit-shaped light fixture to work on. Within two weeks, these artists were tasked to craft their own interpretation of ‘The Jade Rabbit’. Each masterpiece on display is accompanied by a QR Code that leads audience to a video of the artist sharing the story and inspiration behind their very own creation.
“We at Kwai Chai Hong are truly honoured for having eight like-minded local artists who share our passion of preserving the heritage and sharing the culture from the past,” said Zeen Chang, managing partner of Bai Chuan Management.
“It was a challenge for all of us – planning and executing at lightning speed but everyone was committed to make this happen knowing the positive impact it will bring. In this new norm, perhaps this is the only way we can make things work since every moment is precious and unpredictable. We hope to use this platform to spread love and positivity, in true spirit of ‘Hops and Dreams’ fun style,” added Chang.
The eight masterpieces are on display at Kwai Chai Hong from 18th Sept until 4th Oct 2020 with daily extended opening hours from 9am to 12 midnight.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival after Chinese New Year, and is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 1st.
Project Kwai Chai Hong is Bai Chuan Management’s first project which features the restoration of the façade of 10 shophouses and a laneway in between Lorong Panggung and Jalan Petaling. The newly restored heritage alley with interactive murals has become a popular tourist attraction. More details can be found at www.kwaichaihong.com.
