Tsai & Yoshikawa’s The Lion received the runner-up award in the prestigious Marsh Award for Excellence In Public Sculpture 2009 in the UK.

The Lion is a striking contemporary interpretation of a traditional Chinese symbol of greeting and guardianship. This exciting iconic sculpture was chosen as the winning proposal of the International Wardour Street Sculpture Commission, organised by Chinese Art Now (CAN), with sponsorship from corporate landlords Shaftesbury PLC.

It consists of thousands of colourful, individually laser cut pieces of Perspex; each piece represents the varied and diverse range of East Asians living in the UK today. Assembling this diversity of shapes and colours into The Lion symbolises the aspiration to unify the disparate elements of the East Asian communities into a strong, harmonious whole.

The Lion was formally unveiled on 8 April 2009 on the corner of Wardour Street and Shaftesbury Avenue.

The Lion, 2009
Site-specific outdoor permanent public sculpture
Perspex, Jesmonite, fiberglass, steel
360 x 145 x 115 cm