SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco is showcasing a collection of five dragon statues throughout the city in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on February 10 this year, with these colorful artistic designs combining tradition and modern techniques in their creation.

The statues are part of the "Zodiac on Parade" project, organized by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, with the impressive artworks set to be on display at different locations across the city until March 2.

Local artist Steph Mufson designed two of the statues, the Rainbow Dragon and the Gold Luck Dragon, and deployed various high-tech methods including 3D modeling to produce her eye-catching creations.

She expressed her intention to not only honor the Year of Dragon but also highlight the element of wood in these works.
"I wanted to make sure that the art that we were putting out there not only paid honor to the dragon, but also to the element of wood. And, yeah, it gave us an opportunity to try some new tricks, and I was able to do a design in a 3D modeling program that we were then able to use a computer numerical control (CNC) machine for, and then we puzzle-pieced it all together," she said.

Mufson is also the owner and creative director of the Parade Guys, who specialize in creating floats and decorative props for special events, and her team has been actively involved in the city's Chinese New Year Parade for over a decade.

She said she is driven by a passion to both preserve and celebrate Chinese culture and long-standing traditions.

Another of the statues features a design with the distinctive white and blue porcelain which is synonymous with China. Its creator Ji Qinghui says she drew inspiration from the cherished memory of her family meals back in China, which were served in bowls of the same color.

The dragon statues have been catching the eyes of locals and visitors across San Francisco including interior designer Adrian Campos, who he said he is keen to see all five pieces.