The Year of the Red Horse by Hyun Hee Lee

Look up from the streets of the city centre and spot the vibrant artworks of Asian-Australian artists on street banners to celebrate the Year of the Horse.

This artwork is inspired by the artist’s Korean cultural background, using traditional Korean colours which relate to the 5 elements and 12 zodiac animals.

Each animal in the zodiac has a particular colour representation, with the horse being the zodiac animal of 2026 and the colour red.

The 5 element colours are arranged vertically to increase the vibrant universal energy of the banners. Each banner features 3 horses in a progressive movement reaching upwards. The horses are arranged on a symbolic circular cloud, further referring to harmony and diversity in Korean culture. Using these traditional symbolic colour references for Lunar New Year provides a symbiotic connection to culture, harmony and a cause for celebration on this important occasion.

About the artist

Hyun Hee Lee is a Korean-Australian visual artist whose work traverses the traditional Korean and Western art practices. Her work aims to establish a spiritual and cultural connection with Korea by recreating and re-contextualising traditional rituals, cultural practices and customs in a contemporary context.