Wufu

From Lauren’s post:

Wufu - 5 Blessings/ Bats

“A chiropteran character gazes on, hair entwined with a cauldron of bats and eucalyptus blooms, anthropomorphizing the nocturnal Australian flying foxes and flora of this beautiful continent. Flanked with dragon masks from Chinese opera, I wanted to weave some of my heritage in with that of Mordialloc and beyond as a gesture of cultural synthesis and pride.

In Chinese culture, “Wu Fu” (五福), meaning “Five Blessings,” symbolizes a grouping of good fortunes and luck, representing longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful death. Bats are a common symbol of “Wu Fu” because the word “fu” (福, meaning blessing) sounds similar to the word “fu” (蝠, meaning bat) in Chinese. (We love a homophone)

An image of five bats together—commonly seen in Chinese textiles and design motifs, as in this character’s bracelet, represents the “Five Blessings”. Thus, I paint this piece as a blessing for Mordialloc, for Oz and all my friends at Juddy Roller”