Lunar New Year at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2026): Sharing Xiang Li’s Silk Paintings and Chinese Zodiac Art with 3,000 Visitors
March 16, 2026 · Fei Wu
On February 19, 2026, my mother and artist Xiang Li, and I had the privilege of presenting her artwork at the Lunar New Year Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It was one of those evenings that felt bigger than a single event. It felt like a moment where cultures, stories, and people came together through art.
The MFA opened its doors at 5:30 PM, and the festival ran until 8:30 PM. By the end of the evening, more than 3,000 visitors had attended. Friends who arrived early told us that the line stretched down Huntington Avenue, and that people were waiting thirty to forty five minutes just to enter the museum. Seeing that level of excitement for a celebration of Asian culture and art was incredibly moving.
Sharing the Chinese Zodiac Through Hand-Painted Designs
At our station, we had three large tables displaying my mom’s Lunar New Year card designs. Because this was a museum event, we were not allowed to sell anything, which actually created a different kind of experience. Visitors were able to slow down, look closely, and truly interact with the artwork.
Spread across the tables were the twelve Chinese zodiac animals, each designed by my mom using watercolor on watercolor paper. These were not digital designs or printed illustrations. Each animal was originally painted by hand. People leaned in, touched the paper, and asked questions about the symbolism of each zodiac sign. Many visitors were surprised by how expressive watercolor can be when it is used in traditional Chinese-inspired compositions.
Watching families and young visitors interact with the zodiac animals was one of my favorite moments of the evening. For many of them, this was their first time seeing Chinese zodiac imagery created as original art rather than mass-produced graphics.
Monumental Silk Paintings on Display
Behind our tables, we displayed one of the most dramatic pieces of the evening. A two by four meter painting depicting an emperor from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The scale alone immediately drew attention. Visitors were constantly stopping to take photos and ask questions about the dynasty, the costume details, and the painting process.
To the right of our display tables, we placed three original silk paintings.
The first was a portrait of me, Fei Wu, painted by my mother on silk. The work measures 36 by 72 inches. It was deeply personal to have my own portrait presented alongside her historical and cultural works.
Next to it was a large painting of Guan Yin, the beloved bodhisattva associated with compassion. Many visitors recognized Guan Yin immediately and shared stories about seeing similar imagery in temples or family homes.
To the left of these works was a smaller painting representing a Chinese Empress from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Though smaller in scale, it drew intense curiosity because of its historical context and the delicate silk technique.
These works together created a small but powerful glimpse into the larger body of silk paintings my mother has created over decades.
The Energy of the Lunar New Year Festival
The Lunar New Year Festival at the MFA included a wide range of performances and cultural activities throughout the evening. Visitors moved through the museum enjoying traditional dance performances, music, calligraphy demonstrations, and hands-on cultural activities designed for families and children.
The museum itself became alive with celebration. Every gallery seemed to hold something new. The energy felt joyful and welcoming, and it was clear that the festival had become an important annual tradition for the Boston community.
An Unexpected Art Talk Inside the Song Dynasty Gallery
The highlight of the evening for me personally was giving an art talk inside the Chinese galleries of the museum.
From 7:00 to 7:15 PM, I led a short discussion focusing on several historic Chinese paintings from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties displayed in the gallery. I had prepared pages of notes ahead of time. My plan was to discuss the historical background, the artists, and the technical aspects of the paintings.
But something shifted just before the talk began.
While sitting in the car earlier that evening reviewing my notes, I realized that the most important thing about art is not simply the historical data. It is the feeling that art creates inside each person who encounters it.
So when the moment arrived, I chose to focus on something different.
Instead of emphasizing dates and academic information, I invited visitors to experience the paintings through their own interpretation. I encouraged them to look closely, talk with their friends, and share what they personally saw and felt in the works.
Art should feel alive. It should feel open. It should invite curiosity.
I had expected perhaps ten to fifteen people to attend the talk. Instead, nearly eighty to one hundred people gathered in the gallery. The event organizer kindly handed me a small speaker so my voice could carry through the space.
Standing there surrounded by centuries of Chinese art while speaking with such a large and curious audience was an unforgettable moment.
Demonstrating Silk Painting Materials
After the talk, I invited the group back to our display area for a live demonstration segment that lasted from 7:15 to 7:45 PM.
This portion of the evening allowed people to see something they rarely get to experience in a museum.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Xiang Li | Chinese Silk Watercolor Art (@xiangliart)
We brought out the actual materials my mother uses in her painting practice. Visitors were able to see the mineral pigments and gemstone-based colors she uses to create her works. These pigments have been used in traditional Chinese painting for centuries.
This photo below shocks me to this day just how many people showed up to our artist talk and demo. Thank you Museum of Fine Arts Boston and everyone who made this evening possible!
People also touched the raw silk used as the surface for many of her paintings. Feeling the texture of the silk gave visitors a much deeper understanding of the skill required to paint on such delicate material.
The response was overwhelming. People asked thoughtful questions about technique, history, and the process behind the paintings.
What surprised me most was the number of young visitors who were deeply interested in silk painting. Many of them stayed for long conversations, asking how these techniques are preserved and practiced today.
Continuing the Journey
During those conversations, I invited many visitors to attend another upcoming event featuring Xiang Li’s artwork at LabCentral in Cambridge. Several people who attended the festival later joined us there the following week, which was incredibly meaningful.
Another special moment came when I learned that the curator of the Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Yuhua Ding, had visited our display that evening. Although we did not have a chance to speak directly during the busy event, she later shared very kind feedback about my mother’s work.
For us, this recognition from museum professionals means a great deal. It reinforces something we have felt for a long time. There is a deep and growing curiosity among audiences for Chinese art, history, and storytelling.
Becoming Cultural Ambassadors
The evening at the Museum of Fine Arts felt like a turning point.
For many years, my mother has dedicated her life to painting historical Chinese figures on silk using traditional methods. Now I find myself stepping into a role where I help share these stories with wider audiences.
Together we are becoming cultural ambassadors. Our goal is not only to exhibit paintings, but to create conversations around Chinese history, art, and tradition.
My dream is to continue doing this work in museums across the United States and around the world alongside with my friends and long-time supporters of Xiang Li Art (Tripti Gore Chandorkar, German Ceballos, Adam Leffert and others). I want to stand as close as possible to these incredible artworks and help share their stories with anyone who is curious to learn.
Many people may never have the opportunity to travel widely or study Chinese history in depth. But through art, even a brief moment in a museum gallery can spark curiosity and connection.
That is the power of art.
And on that February evening at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, we truly felt it.