By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A dragon is now bursting from the side of the Sake2Me building, 803 Fort thanks to local artist Matt Miller.
The mural is part of the Brush the Bricks downtown Hays art project. This is the second mural Miller has done in the series.
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The mural depicts a dragon and tiger across 54 feet, 2 inches of the north side of the Sake2Me building. The mural is about 9 feet tall.
Although Sake2Me is a Japanese sushi restaurant, Miller said he hoped the mural could symbolize the connection between China and Hays through both the Sister Cities program and Fort Hays State University's cross-border partnership at Zhengzhou Sias University and Shenyang Normal University in China.
Both the tiger and mythical dragon are ancient symbols in Asian culture. Both are depicted in the Chinese zodiac, with this year being the year of the tiger.
The tiger and dragon also have been linked in Chinese mythology as parts of the Yin and Yang. With the tiger being a symbol of land and earthbound and the dragon being a symbol of water, rain and heaven.
"There are stories about them going back and forth and fighting and then they decide ... based on that idea of Yin and Yang ... they find balance," Miller said.
Miller depicts the dragon swimming through frothy waves through most of the length of the mural and the tiger stalking on land at the west end of the mural.
The dragon is based on a collection of different images Miller came across in his research, but he based the coloring of the dragon head on the ring-necked peasant, which also originated in China.
The mural came together fairly quickly. The painting phase only took about two weeks. Miller was putting the finishing touches on the mural Thursday.
However, Miller said not only were the dimensions of the mural daunting, but the texture of the wall was a challenge.
The wall is primarily rough cement brick. The porous brick tended to soak up the paint and slightly distort the image, depending on the light.
The hot conditions also took a toll and meant he struggled with the paint drying quickly.
Miller noted once the dragon began to take shape, the rough texture of the bricks took on an almost scaly appearance that was apropos for the dragon's body.
As with many murals, Miller said the viewer's perception of the painting often changes with the light and how far away the viewer is standing from the mural.
Miller's next mural project will be in Stockton. He plans to start the project next week. It will be based on an old-fashioned postcard and will depict images of sites and symbols that are important in Rooks County.
The mural, which will be about 675 square feet, will be on the wall of a building at the corner of U.S. 24 and U.S. 183 as you drive into Stockton. The mural is being sponsored by the Rooks County Arts Council.