Mural Size: 18 ft WIDE x 7 ft tall.
This indoor mural resides in the waiting room of Japantown Dental, an Asian American owned dental practice in the part of San Francisco known as Japantown. The location of this practice plays a prominent role in the design of this piece with iconic San Francisco landmarks blending with patterns rooted in the culture of Japan. The Japantown Dental logo is placed in the mural represented by the Japantown Peace Pagoda within a tooth. This mural was created for the patients and the staff and provides a warm welcome as they enter Japantown Dental Office.
It was a fun collaboration with the owner as we explored ways to create a calming environment that would appeal to multiple generations of patients. I often heard how everyone looked forward to Mondays to see what I had painted over the weekend. What an awesome thing to hear! After all the hard work, I was really proud of the results. However, not everyone could see it unless they became a patient of the dental practice. This inspired me to make prints that you can check out here.
A bit about the elements.
Each piece I’ve worked on has symbols and patterns drawn from cultural themes. For this mural, the client and I looked to Japanese culture to find inspiration. Click the tabs to see what I learned!
-
Seigaiha translates to blue ocean waves and symbolizes tranquility. It is a pattern used in Japanese culture and represents waves of the ocean. It is created layering concentric circles. I used them in this piece to craft the earth and sky.
-
Daruma are hollow, round figures modeled after a Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma. In Japanese culture, they are associated with goals, perseverance, and good luck. The daruma typically have no eyes to begin with. Tradition states that when you set a goal, you paint in one eye. When you achieve the goal, you paint the other eye. A daruma represents your goal and reminds you to keep up the hard work to achieve it.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
Work in progress of the seigaiha design.
Kokeshi inspired face peeking over Bay Bridge
