Artist showcases Asian culture through Philadelphia mural projects

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia has thousands of murals, and one artist is passionate about having Asian culture reflected in more of them.

So, he's using his talents to share that culture.

Chenlin Cai's current project is a mural inside what will soon be an office space at 1735 Market Street.

"We have ten artists here, and each artist designs a mural based on the theme 'What does Philadelphia mean to you,'" he said while working on the mural.

It features different symbols of his hometown in China and his new home in Philadelphia, which he moved to 14 years ago.

"The city where I live in, Philadelphia, and the city where I come from and bring them together," he explained about the art.

In the mural, a rendition of the William Penn Statue juxtaposes the figure of a local hero in Cai's hometown.

"In both countries, we have the same heroes," he said.

Cai says his art has a purpose: to build an understanding of Asian culture.

"Sometimes people have a stereotype for Asian people," Cai said.

He strives to shatter those stereotypes with his work. He has done murals in China and in Philadelphia.

Residents may have seen some of his local work, especially if they drive by 10th and Vine streets.

The 21-story-high Crane Building in Chinatown now features a mural by Cai and three other artists. They collaborated on the massive project with Mural Arts Philadelphia to celebrate more than 150 years of Chinatown.

The mural features a giant crane, along with paper cranes and different symbols from Chinatown's heritage. It's titled "The Past Supporting the Future."

"You see the big crane, it's a very good symbol for longevity and good fortune," he said.

Some believe that good fortune, however, is being threatened by development in Chinatown including the proposal for a new 76ers arena.

"(In) Chinatown, the future is definitely a concern," said Cai.

"As an artist, I can't change policy. What I can do is use my art as my voice to express my thinking, my idea, my opinion," he said.

With a mission to beautify Chinatown, Cai is the artist behind the Koi fish paintings people see on the sidewalks along 10th Street Plaza.

Cai estimates he's done about 20 murals around the city, in both public and private spaces. No matter where his murals are, the mission is the same.

"Promote Asian culture," he said. "This is what I can do."