A component of the Lunar New Year holiday is paying respects to not only our elders but all of those that came before us. As we look back on the history of our people, we marvel at the trailblazers. The hard work, dedication, and innovation that took place so long ago paved the path for all that we have today. Salesforce wanted to honor the past in a fresh and modern way with their Ancient Technology Ox.
The Ancient Technology Ox features colorful clouds that serve a double meaning: they are a traditional symbol of good fortune, and also allude to the modern meaning of the cloud as part of the technological society we now share. Rounded rectangles refer to the various screens of our favorite devices, offering windows into the history and cultural impact of various Chinese Inventions. Just as our connection to each other is made stronger through the various methods of communication offered to us through our screens, the gold linework dancing from one window to the next connects them all to each other. Each rounded rectangle also emits 3 lines and three curves, illustrating the use of wifi and voice communication in our highly connected world. The use of the plum blossom branches represents family, culture, and history. Each blossom is an individual – part of and connected by shared roots.
Salesforce has chosen Wu Yee Children’s Services, a non-profit whose mission is to create opportunities for children to be healthy, for families to thrive, and for communities to be strong, to support with the proceeds of this Ox.
Artist Bio: Stephanie Mufson
It has been my great honor to create art for the floats for San Francisco’s parades for the past 12 years and my even greater honor to have been put at the helm for the last 7. While the pressure is great, and the stress level is high there is nothing more gratifying than seeing the excitement and joy on people’s faces when they see our work. Working with a team of creative minds all focused on one goal: creating beauty for our community to enjoy- there is nothing I would rather do.
The Ox project is a really exciting opportunity to take what we do and apply it in new and interesting ways. We normally create a lot of work that ends up being discarded or recycled after an event, so it feels great to be working with sponsors and our team to create something that can be enjoyed for weeks, and (depending on their final home) possibly months or even years.
Making beautiful things to make people smile is my calling and it is always a pleasure and an honor, in whatever form that takes.
Learn more about the Ox on Parade and don’t forget to enter our photo contest. From February 3 – March 14, snap a picture of you and the Ox, tag us @chineseparade, and use the hashtag #oxonparade. It’s that simple! See official rules here.