Living with dragons

We began our journey with the garland as our symbol, as a form of adornment most common across the Indo-Pacific. Along the way, we discovered there was another cultural element that is shared between many of our countries: the dragon. How curious that a creature that has never existed (at least not in the form we see in “fantasy” narratives) is such as seemingly universe component of our cultures. This gives us a space to think about what the dragon does in our cultures and what they might say to each other.


The nguzunguzu-dragon - Visiting a neighbour in the Marovo Lagoon, Rodolfo Maggio stumbles upon a powerful creature that combines two radically different cultures.
Carving the Taniwha: Shaping sacred water spirits through Whakairo - Wanda Gillespie is inspired by the Māori carving of the Taniwha water spirit by Ngaroma Riley, Kereama Taepa and Steve Solomon.
May Day! The Giant, the Well, and the Dorset Otter-Dragon  - Author of Water Beings, Veronica Strang, celebrates the appearance of Sasha Constable's Otter Dragon at the Dorset May Day festival. 
Russell Jack ✿ Saving dragons - Dianne Dempsey's biography of Russell Jack reveals how caring for the dragon was a way of sustaining a Chinese diaspora culture.
Breath of the Fire Dragon 稻草香火龍 - Angela Sim shares the story of Singapore's fiery ceremony that farewells the dragon after its sojourn in our world.
Dragon Scale Binding: The revival of an ancient Chinese book format - Yunmeng Jia is impressed with the vision and dedication of Zhang Xiaodong, the sole inheritor of a unique bookbinding craft and a Chinese intangible cultural heritage.
Australia or Bandaiyan?  - Bardi Elder, Aunty Munya Andrews, writes about her people's name for "Australia", which describes a bisexual being.
Aricò’s Calabrian dragon - Under blue Calabrian skies, Antonio Aricò exposes his new collection of stories that animate the cultures of Byzantine Italy.
Jember Batik: The dragon rises - Geraldus Sugeng describes the unique batik designs that come from the town of Jember and are now seen around the world.
Naga Kacip: A snake god at work - Linda S. McIntosh writes about the story told by the quintessential Southeast Asian implement, the kacip betel nut cutter.
Taipei Biennial 2020 ✿ Aruwai Kaumakan - Paiwanese artist Aruwai Kaumakan is reviving the snake motif in her textiles for the upcoming Taipei Biennial.
Jumaadi ✿ You’re invited to a snakes’ wedding - The Sydney-based Indonesian artist Jumaadi uses the snake as a symbol of a dualistic universe. His intricate painting on buffalo hide imagines a cloud-like form created from two snakes entwining.
Living with dragons - While the mythical creature of the dragon is synonymous with China, its presence can be found across the Indo-Pacific. In this online exhibition, we feature artists both inside and outside China who are inspired by the dragon.
He stood up! ✿ Winds of change at the Ancient Now symposium - The Ancient Now symposium heralded not only new creative pathways to China, but also a changing world view inspired by the dragons among us.
Dragon reborn: The making of Bendigo’s Dai Gum Loong - Leigh McKinnon writes about the revival of skills from Hong Kong involved in the new Bendigo dragon
Rainbow Serpent art from Pormpuraaw - Artists from Pormpuraaw share stories of the Rainbow Serpent that inspire their art.
A rainbow serpent theory of time - For Tyson Yunkaporta, the rainbow serpent offers an alternative to the circular world of second peoples.
Weaving the feathered serpent - Yunuen Perez recounts her journey across the Pacific and the feathered serpent she takes with her.