China
Phung Huynh
The Artist
Born in Vietnam in 1977, Phung Huynh immigrated to the United States in 1978. Huynh graduated from the Art Center College of Design in 1999 with a B.F.A. in illustration. In 2001, she earned an M.F.A. in studio art from New York University. Since receiving her degrees, Huynh has been featured in solo and group exhibitions all over the United States. She has served on a number of reputable commissions, including those for Rolling Stone magazine, American Airlines, and the Community Redevelopment Agency in Los Angeles. Huynh currently lives in Los Angeles and is a full-time faculty member at Los Angeles Valley College, an adjunct faculty member at East Los Angeles College, and chair of the art department at Ribét Academy.
The Elephant
Huynh’s elephant statue represents China and focuses on the relationship between the Dai people and elephants. She has included peacock motifs symbolizing good fortune, happiness, beauty, and kindness; lotus flowers referencing the Buddhist religion of the Dai people; water referring to the water splashing festival; and Dai geometric designs.
Cindy Suriyani (Me Xian Qiu)
The Artist
Cindy Suriyani is a photographer, installation and mixed-media artist based in Los Angeles. She was born in the town of Pekalongan, on the island of Java in Indonesia, to a third generation Chinese minority family. At birth, Suriyani was given various names in preparation for societal collapse and variant potential futures. She had a Chinese name, an American name, an Indonesian name given by her parents, and a Catholic name bestowed by the local priest. In response to political pressures, the family moved to the United States. She was moved back and forth several times as a child, and has visited China five times in recent years. Suriyani’s work has been featured in exhibits in the United States, Mexico, and Europe.
The Elephant
One of the most popular folk arts in China is paper cuts, often done using red paper. They were originally used in making sacrifices to ancestors and immortals, or as molds for embroidery. There are many regions that specialize in this art form, including the Dai, Yangzhou, and Ansai. There is an element of the elephant that looks like an intricate paper cutout, which illustrates a story of the elephant’s coexistence with the Dai. Dai legend has it that the planting of bamboo and banana trees brings in the elephants and repels the tigers. The elephant sculpture features traditional Chinese and Dai designs, cutouts of the golden phoenix, dragon, and peacock, as well as the elephant foot drum dance. The elephant was painted using traditional Chinese and Dai colors.