The Year of the Water Tiger

Lunar New Year is fast approaching, turning our Year of the Ox into the Year of the Tiger. As we shift from the Metal Ox to the Water Tiger, we look forward to strength and vitality, adventure and enthusiasm as well as change and progress. The year of the Water Tiger feels especially auspicious for us at Cargo as we are blessed to have just that, a water Tiger, adorn the back of our building. 

When Miami based artist Ernesto Maranje came to Portland with the international mural program Apt Art, he was slated to paint a different building and had a vision for that mural that did not include a tiger at all. When the location of the original mural fell through, Cargo happily offered our building. When Ernesto walked the Cargo floors and met the Cargo owners, he had a change of heart. He felt the energy of the Tigress inside Cargo and designated it as our talisman. 

The mural took shape with Ernesto’s vision and skill, along with the support and hard work of the volunteers at p:ear, a program that builds positive relationships with youth experiencing homelessness through art and education. As the wealth divide in the United States grows, so does the number of people made homeless, many of them youth. The psychological and physical impact of homelessness, even temporarily, takes a toll, especially on young people. To address the reality of growing economic gaps and the impact that divide has on all of society, youth from p:ear, worked with Ernesto to paint this large-scale public wall.

In this mural, the group painted their identity and things of importance into the shapes of flowers. A larger than life tiger stands guard above the flowers, protecting them as they develop and grow in a dreamy underwater world. Next to the tiger a bird takes flight. representing the potential all humans have if nurtured and protected. Elements of coral and sea life adorn the tiger, bird and flowers, highlighting the connection we all share regardless of where we come from or where we are going. 

Come see our Water Tiger anytime and celebrate the step into this Lunar New Year with our variety of decorations and goods, in-store.

Shop Lunar New Year goodies online here.