Banner Galleries: Chrissy Lau - The Dragon8r

The Dragon8r (Dragon'eight'or) are 6 dragons with bodies in the shape of the lucky Chinese number 8.

In Chinese 8 sounds like 'fortune'. Each banner is filled with lucky, auspicious elements seen during the celebration of the lunar new year. 

Banner 1: Inspired by Sydney's food scene the Dragon's chopstick pokes a dumpling symbolising the celebratory feasts, alongside longevity noodles and golden fortune-filled mandarins. Longevity knot charms and golden coins attract wealth and fortune for the new year. 

Banner 2: Dragon holds a longevity knot charm as a symbol of long life and has an Ang Bao filled with money. 

Banner 3: Dragon holds a gold coin and longevity knot decoration to attract wealth and fortune to Sydney. 

Banner 4: Lucky dragon boy with firecrackers to ward off evil spirits rides Dragon. It is highly prestigious for children to be born in the Year of the Dragon because dragons symbolise power, luck, and success. The belief is that these children will exude these traits and be successful in life.  

Banner 5: Lucky dragon boy and girl ride the Dragon. 

Banner 6: Lucky dragon girl plays with her Lunar New Year lantern. 

The colour palette is inspired by Asian architecture and Sydney's bright city lights. The design is a contemporary, graphic style which reflects Sydney's dynamic Arts & Culture scene. The tone is bright and fresh, created for all ages and cultures to enjoy at a quick glance or to linger and decipher all the symbolism in the designs.  

About the artist

Chrissy Lau is a multi-disciplinary designer, drawing her creative inspiration from her Chinese heritage and the profound symbolism woven into her culture. She explores the connection between her personal experiences growing up in England and now Sydney, Australia with the mythology and spiritual beliefs of her ancestral roots. Chrissy creates mesmerising art using lines and patterns, superficially beautiful, but dig deeper and you’ll see the symbolism and cultural integrity – in a nutshell she’s ‘East meets West’. She illustrates with a strong understanding of her Chinese heritage and appreciation of Asian culture, which has enabled her to create authentic bespoke Chinese and Asian-inspired designs with a modern twist. www.chrissylau.com