Walls that were once bare in Calgary’s Chinatown are a now gallery of sorts, showing off the tradition and heritage of the Chinatown community.
Jamie Mason is a Calgary artist who along with her partner, Kevin Chow, has been enduring the heat over past week by creating a huge work of art that depicts life in China around 900 years ago.
“Calgary’s Chinatown is my favourite Chinatown in Canada,” said Mason on Friday. “It just feels like a cohesive neighbourhood. The aesthetic is beautiful.”
Two years ago the creative team, better known as Rawry and Pohly, created another mural across the street near Point Sushi. They produced a Calgary take of the revered 12th-century Chinese cultural icon Along the River During the Qingming Festival.
“We had a lot of positive feedback from the first mural and everyone was excited to witness the development of the mural itself,” said Chow.
“For this new project, the Chinatown BIA reached out to us. They were super excited to do an extension of the previous mural.”
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The artists were happy to do some improv — even taking suggestions from the crowd.
“On the last one, a senior from the Elderly Citizens Association shouted at us to put a jumping fish in, so we added a jumping fish and he was super stoked to see it,” Mason laughed.
Pedestrians have been invited to grab a can of spray paint and get creative. On Friday, a group visiting Calgary from out of town was delighted to take part, with Mason giving a few pointers.
“We offer them to try spray painting on the wall for the first time and they’re just so excited to be doing so,” Mason said.
“At first people are a little scared to use the spray can,” Mason said, but added the novice “artists” don’t need to worry about leaving a bad impression. She said their contributions are fleeting and will be painted over before the project is completed.
The intricate details capture the importance of family and remembrance. It’s also given local artists a chance to get their name out to the world.
“It allows us to go to a city like New York, for example and say, ‘Hey New York, with your Chinatown, if you have a wall, this is the kind of artwork that we bring to the table,’” Chow said.
Mason said it shows the important role public art plays in telling our stories.
“When you’re putting artwork on a wall for the common person to enjoy, when they walk by to work, it really livens it up and adds a bit of beauty and curiosity to your day,” Mason said.
The new mural will be unveiled at the Chinatown Street Festival on Aug. 17.
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