The Year of Rabbit ‘23

This animation is part of an ongoing Lunar New Year series that transforms Chinese zodiac animals into traditional chinese objects. The Year of the Rabbit will be the 6th one in this collection.

As someone who grew up in New Zealand without a large Chinese community, I felt a large gap between my heritage and the traditions surrounding Lunar New Year. I decided to embark on a personal journey to explore my cultural roots, and this project was born out of that desire.

The Year of the Rabbit animation is particularly special to me, as it is the year I was born in. It features a traditional Lunar New Year delicacy called tang yuan 团圆, which symbolizes unity and togetherness. In the animation, these sweet glutinous rice balls transform into adorable rabbits, bringing good luck and prosperity in the coming year.

inscription #63

While working on the animation for Lunar New Year '23, I became curious about other ways to share my work with a wider audience. A friend introduced me to a new concept called Ordinal Inscriptions, which provided the ability to "inscribe" a piece of art fully into the bitcoin blockchain.

I decided to experiment with "inscribing" my animation, resulting in Inscription #63 - a truly unique piece:

• It is the first video ever to be inscribed on Ordinals.

• It was inscribed before video was officially supported by the protocol, and its success led to the addition of video support (see tweets below).

• It is one of the few original art pieces in the first 100 inscriptions.

• It was inscribed on the date of LNY '23.

About the artist

Shirley is an illustrator and animator from New Zealand, who has captured the hearts of many with her Lunar New Year series. Her work has gained widespread recognition and has been exhibited at the San Francisco International Airport, as well as being sold in collaboration with FlipBook.

With her unique style and vivid imagination, Shirley's work transports viewers to a world of whimsy and enchantment. Her Lunar New Year series, in particular, has garnered much attention and praise for its innovative and imaginative portrayal of Chinese zodiac animals transformed into traditional chinese objects.

She currently resides in San Francisco.