"This is where we paint, build, and construct decorative floats for the Chinese New Year Parade, Pride celebrations, and many other events. I'm an artist and designer who painted a marble statue at Thrive City. The entire process took about a month - from sculpting and sanding to priming, layering, and the final paint process."
"I have to plan everything in my head - which color to lay down first - and make sure we meet a tight deadline. How do we make everything perfect, but also work quickly? I come from a family of artists, so it means a lot to me to continue my family's artistic legacy."
"It means a lot to me because I came to America when I was nine years old, and I felt very disconnected from where I came from. Being part of the Chinese community - especially working on the parade - helps me reconnect with my culture and my community."
Robin Zhao, a local artist and designer, is preparing decorative floats and iconic statues for San Francisco's 2026 Lunar New Year Parade at Pier 90. She created a marble statue of Maverick, the Year of the Horse mascot, now displayed at the Warriors' arena in Mission Bay. The project required meticulous planning, including color selection and layering techniques, completed within tight deadlines. Zhao comes from a family of artists and views her work as continuing their legacy while serving San Francisco's art-focused community with a large Chinese population. For Zhao personally, creating parade artwork helps her reconnect with her Chinese culture after immigrating to America at age nine, bringing joy and cultural significance to the community.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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