In our latest archive display we take a closer look at Descendants of the Dragon, 1991. This exhibition highlighted the Chinese community within Britain, looking at the importance of the dragon within celebrations. The exhibition showed many sculptural/puppet works which were related to the dragon and other animals that are present in ritual celebrations in Chinese-British culture.
Descendants of the Dragon showcased Chinese artists based in the East Midlands, as well as works from China. The majority of the space was filled with sculptural works that were used in ritual and festival settings featuring a large dragons head at its centre, and a long boat to the side. The ceiling of the gallery was covered with kites of different animals, including cranes, eagles, owls, and butterflies.
Curated by Alex Jovčić-Sas, the Archive cabinet contains photographs from the original exhibition, alongside condition drawings/reports for the main piece which sat in the centre of the gallery. There are also some of the original captions which have been written in mandarin and translated into English.
This exhibition has recently been researched by Dr Vivien Chen who was looking into diasporic East Asian artists in the East Midlands.
