Fortune (A Knitted Yum Cha for My Mother's 90th Birthday), 2021-22
Exhibition: Fortune, touring Aotearoa 2022 - 2025, with thanks to the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust
Fortune tells the story of my mother and grandmother, two of just 500 Chinese refugee wives and children permitted into NZ between 1939 and 1941. Lee Choy Kee and Yip Sue Yen were reunited with my grandfather Dixon Yip who, having paid the Chinese poll tax decades prior, had come to NZ to eke out a better future. Not every family was so lucky; many were separated forever.
Fortune was knitted in 2021-22 and has been seen by over 100,000 people at seven venues around Aotearoa between 2022 - 2025 - Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery, Hocken Collections, Eastern Southland Gallery, Whanganui Regional Museum, Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History and Te Waka Huia Wellington Museum.
Fortune (a knitted yum cha for my mother's 90th birthday), 2021 - 2022. Image by Richard Ng
Fortune at Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, August - October 2024
Promo for Fortune at Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho Wellington Museum, Nov 2024 - April 2025
Before it became an exhibition, the first pork buns took shape, 2021
Surrounded by dear old friends at the opening of Fortune, Whirinaki Whare Taonga, November 2022
Fortune lanterns at Eastern Southland Gallery, Gore, November 2023 - January 2024
The staff of the Eastern Southland Gallery and me, November 2023
Whanganui Regional Museum exhibition title design, February 2024
Fortune cats made at Te Waka Huia Wellington Museum, March 2025
Fortune at its very first venue, Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Nov 2022 - January 2023
With Johnny Hui at Waikato Museum
The first knitted har gow dumplings, late The first knitted har gow dumplings, late 2021
Limited edition Fortune notebooks at Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, August - October 2024
The Fortune Maker Space at Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho Wellington Museum, November 2024 - April 2025
Big signage outside Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho Wellington Museum, November 2024 - April 2025
Fortune featured in series 2, episode 2 of the TVNZ series National Treasures. I spoke to Nina Finigan about the story behind the artwork.
On the set of National Treasures, November 2022
Family photos included in the Wellington leg of the Fortune tour. Image taken at Te Waka Huia Wellington Museum by Matt Henry, November 2024
Fortune opening night, Hocken Collections, Augist 2023
Installing Fortune at Wellington Museum, November 2024
With the crew at Waikato Museum during installation, Februrary 2023
Fortune (detail)
Fortune billboard at Waikato Museum, May 2023
Installation at Hocken Collections, Dunedin, August 2023
Billboards advertising Fortune at Whanganui Regional Museum, February - July 2024
Fortune at Whanganui Regional Museum, February - July 2024
Fortune at Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho Wellington Museum, November 2024 - April 2025
Fortune at Te Waka Huia Wellington Museum, November 2024. Image by Matt Henry
Fortune billboard, Whanganui, 2024
《吉祥如意》（一件为我母亲90岁大寿精心准备的广式饮茶艺术作品）（2021-22年）
展览：《吉祥如意》新西兰全国巡展作品（2022-2025年）
《吉祥如意》讲述了我的母亲Yip Sue Yen和祖母Lee Choy Kee李彩贵在1939年至1941年间作为仅有的五百名难民妻儿中的两位获准入境新西兰的故事，两个女人最终与祖父Dixon Yip叶德顺得以团聚。祖父在几十年前缴纳了华人人头税（Chinese poll tax）来到新西兰只为谋求更好的未来。其实，并不是每个家庭都能这般幸运，许许多多的家庭永远地分隔于两地无法再相见。
《吉祥如意》（一件為我母親90歲大壽精心準備的廣式飲茶藝術作品）（2021-22年）
展覽：《吉祥如意》紐西蘭全國巡迴作品（2022-2025年）
《吉祥如意》講述了我的母親Yip Sue Yen和祖母Lee Choy Kee李彩貴在1939年至1941年間作為僅有的五百名難民妻兒中的兩位獲准入境新西蘭的故事，兩個女人最終與祖父Dixon Yip葉德順得以團聚。祖父在幾十年前繳納了華人人頭稅（Chinese poll tax）來到紐西蘭只為謀求更好的未來。其實，並不是每個家庭都能這般幸運，許許多多的家庭永遠地分隔於兩地無法再相見。