A Tree Grows in Chinatown is about the early life of Vanessa’s mother who passed away in mid-August. Using family photos of her mother’s early life, memories and texts, Vanessa has created this exhibition as a tribute to her mother.
Vanessa’s family roots are firmly in East Vancouver – her forebears came from China but both of her parents were born in BC. She spent her early childhood around East Hastings and consequently, all of her early memories are of East Hastings, Chinatown, and the area around Chinatown, now known as the Downtown Eastside.
Vanessa is well-known for the Crow Highway mural in which she was able to honour her mother and all the mothers before her. She says: “Ancestors: I have lots, and I’m willing to share them with the rest of the community. I’ve been told [this mural] is now an L1 portal in the Android game Ingress. If you want to see it IRL, it’s at the southwest corner of Hastings and Jackson in Vancouver.” The work can be seen on the blog thiscassandra.com