CANLEY VALE STATION

I grew up in St. Johns Park and attended Canley Heights Public school, situated along Canley Vale Road. Creating a work that symbolises family, community, and harmony was necessary for this design because my whole family lives in the Greater Fairfield area to this day (and will have to look at this piece for a long time!)

I walked through the Canley Vale town strip and conversed with Ben Nguyen from Hai Au to obtain ideas about what subject matter to include in the contents of the mural. I took inspiration from the feedback conducted in the community survey sent within a 500m radius of Canley Vale Station by Downer Group. My findings are a mishmash of the following: 

This design is inspired by childhood memories and a term used in positive psychology called Eudaimonia, which refers to human flourishing. The hand bracelet full of charms and trinkets appears to be dipped into a pond, and a goldfish swims between the hands. Based on a childhood memory I have of once having a pet goldfish that used to swim into the palm of my hands. This goldfish lived for the longest I can remember (of all my pets), and I've never had another since! Goldfish are also universal symbols of abundance, and within Chinese culture, they also represent prosperity and good luck. 

The first charm attached to the bracelet (from left to right) is of a birdhouse; it's paired with Jasmine, shown throughout most of the composition. This reference is from a photo of local resident Mai Doan's backyard. The birdhouse is symbolic of my father's green thumb and gardening: a hobby he and many avid homeowners in suburban Sydney put a lot of pride into.  

The second charm is the 'spaceship' monument, the Fairfield International Monument, situated at The Crescent and created by Ukrainian artist and architect Leonid and Yurij Denysenko. The charm has paired the sunflowers in the design, representing Ukraine's national flower. The monument was unveiled in 1977 and commemorates the contribution of migrants to the City of Fairfield. Created by the Fairfield Multicultural Society, 16 people from diverse cultural backgrounds came together to honour the many nationalities settling in the area. The original members of the international foundation consisted of Armenian, Assyrian, Australian, Byelorussian, Croatian, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Serbian, Ukrainian, British and Welsh communities living in the local City of Fairfield area at the time. 

The third trinket is a marble that is a singular item scattered throughout the decorated halls, roofs, walls, and every nook and cranny of the iconic Vietnamese restaurant Hai Au located on Clifford Ave and Canley Vale Road. Hai Au symbolises home for many of the residents of Canley Vale today, having come to Australia as refugees during the Vietnam war. It is easily the most authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Australia. The art and visual displays in Hai Au are the life's work of Ben Nguyen, and all the marbled origami and artworks are made from recycled materials. The marble, paired with the goldfish and intricate folds of origami, can be seen throughout the entire restaurant and was created by owner Ben Nguyen who believed the marble symbolises love. Ben says, 'Everything in time will fade; only love lasts for eternity.'

The bobbin trinket symbolises sewing, a hobby my mother has. It is also symbolic of an occupation many Vietnamese migrants held when they first arrived in Australia in the late 1970s and 80s. The bobbin also represents my mother's best friend, Uncle Alan, who owns a sewing shop along the town strip.