WATER CAT: MÃO MẸO

2023 is the year of Quý Mão, the year of the water cat in the Vietnamese Lunar Calendar or the year of the water rabbit in the Sino Lunar Calendar. 

Depicted is a cat wearing Áo Giao Lĩnh, a traditional cross-collared robe worn by Vietnamese people prior to the 18th century and most notably during the Lê Dynasty. He is seen riding the waves atop a magical rabbit. The water cat lugs on his back a scroll from which one can see the words: Mão and Mẹo. 

This depiction is an attempt to weave together imageries of both the cat and the rabbit, the two animals that come 4th in a 12-year zodiac cycle. It also pays homage to the legend of ông Táo, the venerated Kitchen God, riding a carp to heaven. 

In creating this print, it is my hope that, like the water cat, you will leap over the waves of uncertainty, instability, and hardship. It is my hope that you will reach your joy. 

100% of profits from the sales of the Water Cat print between 1/24–2/4 was donated to the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims Fund, organized by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Southern California via GoFundMe.