Charming Prosperity by Ratih Luhur

Look up at our street banners and you might see the Sydney Lunar Festival banner galleries celebrating the Year of the Snake.

Ratih Luhur’s artwork, ‘Charming Prosperity’, captures the harmony of yin and yang through unity and balance.

The golden snakes form the Chinese character for "snake" (蛇). The artwork evolves across 3 stages, as the snakes shed their skins. It symbolises a transformative journey towards renewal, prosperity and ascension.

As the snakes shed their skins, peonies emerge. These flowers symbolise abundance, harmonious relationships and fresh beginnings.

When the shedding is complete, vibrant multicoloured scales are revealed, representing the diversity of Sydney’s vibrant multicultural communities.

The sky is adorned with the mega mendung (sunray and cloud) pattern. The mega mendung motif represents the seven layers of heaven and encourages calmness and bliss when facing life’s challenges. The mega mendung motif is under consideration by UNESCO as an Intangible World Heritage. It brings together Chinese influence with Indonesian coastal batik and is deeply tied to the artist’s Chinese-Indonesian heritage.

How do you embrace change in your life? Let this artwork inspire you to shed the old and welcome new beginnings.

About the artist

Sydney-based artist Ratih Luhur (盧思慧) works across various media, including large-format watercolour, digital media and installations. Drawing from her Chinese-Indonesian heritage, Ratih’s art focuses on cultural diversity. Her minimalist style, shaped by her architectural background, is rich in symbolism. Ratih has received multiple international awards for her design and communication. Inspired by her global experience, Ratih transforms cultural experiences into universal stories. Her art bridges cultural gaps, celebrates diversity, and gives her a distinctive voice in cultural storytelling.

www.ratihluhur.com

Download the Sydney Culture Walks app to see the locations of all lanterns, artwork installations, banner galleries and more in the Lunar Walk.