8 Winds is a work created in celebration of Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse – a time associated with movement, vitality and forward momentum. The title refers to the 8 winds that call upon us to renew and evolve, to face the challenges ahead with strength of character and integrity. The winds are both literal and symbolic: unseen forces that shape our direction, growth and collective future.
On a personal level, this work is deeply meaningful. As an immigrant to Canada with French, Indian, and Celtic influences, I feel a profound connection to the history of lantern festivals and their symbolism of illumination, and prosperity. Lanterns have long marked moments of transition—between darkness and light, endings and beginnings, solitude and celebration. To contribute to this tradition through a public artwork is both an honour and an expression of gratitude.
At the heart of my design is the horse – she is strong, playful, bold yet intuitive. She is guided by the 8 winds that move around and through her. The horse has always symbolized our living history, across all cultures. She embodies continuity, from a distant past to a dynamic future. As a Lunar New Year symbol she represents perseverance and the ability to carry both memory and hope forward.
Embedded within the background of the artwork are the 8 guiding words associated with the Year of the Horse. Translated into several languages, they reflect our cultural diversity, and the shared values that connect humanity across borders. Language in this artwork, represents a unifying force; within communication lies equality, empathy and the possibility of deeper human connection. Words to live and love by.
Ura is a visual artist and surface pattern designer based in Vancouver BC. Working in acrylics and ink on paper, she is primarily self-taught, allowing intuition and process to guide her designs. Pattern, shapes and colour unfold organically, and reflect her belief that artwork in its meditative form, is a true extension of oneself.
Raised between Europe and Canada in a multicultural immigrant household, Ura grew up with a deep appreciation for travel, academia, and the arts. These early influences continue to inform a visual language that is rooted in curiosity and observation. Her designs explore the mirrored structures and pattern repetition found in the natural world – from micro to macro, architectural to cultural – across history, geography and living environments.
Language and its power to connect people is another source of inspiration. Ura is drawn to the ways humans seek to share meaning, love and humanity through both words and visual expression. Through colour and layered patterns, her work invites viewers into moments of reflection and recognition.
8 Winds
8 Winds is a work created in celebration of Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse – a time associated with movement, vitality and forward momentum. The title refers to the 8 winds that call upon us to renew and evolve, to face the challenges ahead with strength of character and integrity. The winds are both literal and symbolic: unseen forces that shape our direction, growth and collective future.
On a personal level, this work is deeply meaningful. As an immigrant to Canada with French, Indian, and Celtic influences, I feel a profound connection to the history of lantern festivals and their symbolism of illumination, and prosperity. Lanterns have long marked moments of transition—between darkness and light, endings and beginnings, solitude and celebration. To contribute to this tradition through a public artwork is both an honour and an expression of gratitude.
At the heart of my design is the horse – she is strong, playful, bold yet intuitive. She is guided by the 8 winds that move around and through her. The horse has always symbolized our living history, across all cultures. She embodies continuity, from a distant past to a dynamic future. As a Lunar New Year symbol she represents perseverance and the ability to carry both memory and hope forward.
Embedded within the background of the artwork are the 8 guiding words associated with the Year of the Horse. Translated into several languages, they reflect our cultural diversity, and the shared values that connect humanity across borders. Language in this artwork, represents a unifying force; within communication lies equality, empathy and the possibility of deeper human connection. Words to live and love by.
Ura is a visual artist and surface pattern designer based in Vancouver BC. Working in acrylics and ink on paper, she is primarily self-taught, allowing intuition and process to guide her designs. Pattern, shapes and colour unfold organically, and reflect her belief that artwork in its meditative form, is a true extension of oneself.
Raised between Europe and Canada in a multicultural immigrant household, Ura grew up with a deep appreciation for travel, academia, and the arts. These early influences continue to inform a visual language that is rooted in curiosity and observation. Her designs explore the mirrored structures and pattern repetition found in the natural world – from micro to macro, architectural to cultural – across history, geography and living environments.
Language and its power to connect people is another source of inspiration. Ura is drawn to the ways humans seek to share meaning, love and humanity through both words and visual expression. Through colour and layered patterns, her work invites viewers into moments of reflection and recognition.
The Lantern City is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish Nation), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered on this land, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples whose arts and stories inspire us to bring communities together.
