Walking in the alley between Keefer and Georgia on the East side of Main, you might notice that a new mural has popped up. The mural, called “Fishes of Saltwater City” is the work of Chinatown artist duo Bagua Artist Association (Katharine Meng-Yuan Yi and Sean Cao), Smokey D, Comohombre, KWAMKWAMGALIS Jason Taylor (Kwakwaka’wakw, descended from the Namgis, Tlowitsis and Mamtagila tribes of Northern Vancouver Island), and Míkw’achi7m Marissa Nahanee of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh & Nisg̱a’a Nations. “Fishes of Saltwater City” is part of the Chinatown Historic Laneway Initiative, with support from the City of Vancouver, Chinatown Legacy Stewardship Group, the Youth Collaborative for Chinatown, and the Vancouver Moving Theatre Society.
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“Fishes of Saltwater City” features four fish designed and painted by, from left to right, KWAMKWAMGALIS Jason Taylor, Bagua Artist Association, Smokey D, and Comohombre, representing the diverse communities that come together in and around Chinatown. These fish are surrounded by a Coast Salish weaving motif for water designed by Míkw’achi7m Marissa Nahanee, signifying, in the artists’ words, that “the fishes are all the settlers that are embraced in the host first nation’s water body.”
“In Chinese language, “Fish 魚” carries an auspicious meaning as it symbolizes prolific life and prosperity. Historically, the Vancouver Chinese community has referred to Vancouver by “Saltwater City”, a name passed down by Chinatown’s earliest settlers.” – Bagua Artist Association
Fishes of Saltwater City mural off Georgia Street. Photo Credit: Sean Cao.
Located on the side of 217 East Georgia Street, “Fishes of Saltwater City” is just steps away from Bagua Artist Association’s “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” painted in 2019 on the side of Liang You bookstore. “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” explores a scene from Chinese folklore with the aim of helping “re-imagine Vancouver’s Chinatown, its history, and its people.” In response to vandalism of the mural, Cao and Yi hosted a Mural Repair Community Social in April 2022, bringing together generations of the Chinatown community to bring the mural back to life.
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