Photography by Lan Nguyen

Taki “Ryudaibori” Kitamura

“Serpentine Fire”

 Design collaboration with: Molly Kitamura / Colin Kenji Baker

LOCATION:

Discovery Meadows @ the Children’s Discovery Museum - 180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA 95110

To celebrate this lunar year of the dragon and the multiculturalism of San Jose, Serpentine Fire represents dragon mythology around the world. With my background as a tattoo artist, I am versed in depicting visual mythology and am part of a larger tradition of storytellers. With this mural, I am expressing the diversity of serpent divinity and sacred spaces - the dragon and serpent have been symbolic in cultures all over the world and in this, I see our common humanity. 

The torii gates to open the mural are reminiscent of the famed Fushimi Inari Shinto shrine in Kyoto and a Japanese dragon rises above. Quetzalcoatl, the great Aztec feathered serpent, glides through the air behind snake shadows casted on Chichen Itza pyramid at the spring equinox. In Peru, a serpent is inscribed with the Nazca line from thousands of years ago. A Dragon dance and firecrackers bring in the Lunar New year in Asia. In Greek and European mythology, the Serpens constellation, graces the heavens- one of the most sacred spaces of all. And we close with the Naga of India, the origin of most Asian dragon mythology.

IG @stateofgracetaki / @knivesandneedles / @colinbaker / @stateofgracetattoo