Dave Young Kim, A Momentous Moment in Time of Passage and Landing, 2024 (Photo – Tom Bonner)
David Young Kim’s mural creation seamlessly aligns with the USC Pacific Asia Museum’s core mission to promote intercultural understanding in the service of elevating our shared sense of humanity.
By News Desk
USC Pacific Asia Museum is celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with free admission throughout the month of May. On Saturday, May 18, the museum is hosting a family-friendly celebration in honor of its new mural, A Momentous Moment in Time of Passage and Landing, created by artist Dave Young Kim.
The event will feature cultural dances and performances, crafts, food trucks, an artist talk, and more. Artist Dave Young Kim’s mural visually encapsulates the profound impact of migration from Asia and the Pacific Islands in shaping the distinctive cultural fabric of Los Angeles. The mural portrays 41 birds in harmonious flight, each representing a sovereign Asian or Pacific Islander nation and its official national bird. The collective imagery symbolizes the universal search for home, a commonality that connects all humankind and all species.
“Traditionally, the king and queen would sit in front of a painted screen that had the sun and the moon on either side; it denoted yin and yang, the perfect balance, principles that make the universe work, along with dignity, heaven’s favor, and mandate for the king, essentially each time they sat down publicly in front of the imagery, it evokes the idea that it’s a momentous moment in time,” said Kim. “With the mural, I’m taking that idea and placing that perfect balance above the depiction of birds, each representing a Pacific Asian nation in migration, moving from one homeland to another, and saying this is a momentous moment, all the forgotten stories, challenges, struggles of that journey and they should be elevated to the same level of royalty.”
Through the amplification of local voices and narratives, this mural serves as a poignant testament to the shared experiences and diverse cultural legacies within the AAPI community and affirms the museum’s steadfast commitment to champion them.
A family-friendly celebration in honor of its new mural Saturday, May 18 Location USC Pacific Asia Museum 46 N Los Robles Ave Pasadena, CA 91101
> Read more about the mural and view the bird identification key here.
USC Pacific Asia Museum entrance (Photo – PacificAsiaMuseum)
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