许愿树 (WISHING TREE)

Past Exhibition

This work by Colette Fu is a commission for The Cynthia Lovelace Sears Collection, and was inspired by the The Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees, a popular shrine in Hong Kong. According to local superstition, they hold a magical ability to make wishes come true as visitors write down their wishes for the new year, tie them to an orange, and then toss them up into the tree’s branches.

Like the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree, the tree will be a banyan tree, which has special significance in many cultures. It is considered sacred and represents numerous virtues including growth, strength, perseverance, longevity, immortality, wisdom, enlightenment, and the quieting of the mind.

Visit the tree’s current home in the MESA Gallery and craft your very own orange to write your wishes upon.