After enduring weeks of frigid temperatures, the Year of the Fire Horse has finally ushered in warmth to New York City. On February 17, the Lunar New Year celebrations filled Chinatown's Mott Street with vibrancy on a delightful 45-degree Fahrenheit day. Illustrator and educator Sarula Bao, wielding a handcrafted puppet resembling a horse, embraced a fresh perspective on a traditional Chinese folk art form to spread joy.
This year, Bao was honored with the Lantern Residency, a yearly initiative by the cultural nonprofit Think!Chinatown (T!C) that encourages artists to interpret the iconic paper lantern, a key element in Lunar New Year festivities. Through her project, Bao referenced bu zha (布扎), a unique fiber art linked to the Bai ethnic minority in Yunnan province, China. Traditionally, bu zha are small embroidered silk animal crafts that serve as symbols of luck and protection, often depicting the 12 zodiac animals and other significant motifs to repel negativity and foster harmony.
Paying homage to this intricate craft, Bao designed a large-scale bu zha that took the form of a stuffed horse puppet adorned with numerous appliqué details. Her creation, named "Xiao Baoma" (小宝马), meaning "Little Precious Horse" in Mandarin, danced above the crowds during the Mott Street procession, contrasting beautifully with the overcast sky and bursts of colorful confetti.
"I aimed to incorporate traditional Chinese New Year symbols associated with good fortune and prosperity, such as mandarins, fish, coins, and the yuanbao, historically used as currency," Bao shared. She also drew inspiration from traditional floral designs she encountered in her exploration of bu zha.
Bao mentioned that her artistic practice often merges her personal visual language with research, a testament to her role as the director of Endless Editions at the Brooklyn Art Book Fair.
"Celebrating Lunar New Year in the States, I wanted to include symbols that resonate with my own sense of luck and happiness, so I added stars, music notes representing positive emotions, and a house to signify that this celebration feels like home," she explained.
Bao's bu zha will reappear on Mott Street during the Super Saturday lantern celebration on February 28 from 3 PM to 5 PM. T!C is also hosting various creative and culinary programs throughout the first week of March to honor the Year of the Horse.