Features

The Lunar New Year marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the year on the lunisolar calendar. Celebrations are taking place around the world as the first new moon of the calendar year approaches. While the new year is often celebrated by gathering with friends and family, honoring ancestors, enjoying food, and participating in traditions, many in the SVA community also make art featuring the Chinese zodiac. 

Whether it’s creating a poster for the BFA Comics and BFA Illustration New Year Poster competition or designing goodies to sell at Lunar New Year markets, SVA students and alumni have put together thoughtful, exciting, and creative projects in anticipation of the Year of the Horse—check out a roundup of their 2026 Lunar New Year work below.

BFA Comics and BFA Illustration hosted their annual Bring in the New Year student poster competition, announcing BFA Illustration student Sue Kim as the winner for her piece, a bold stylization of “2026” in the form of a horse.

BFA Illustration student Leyla Cui captured the momentum of starting a new year with a playful scene of a horse galloping alongside birds and fireworks.

BFA Illustration student Fangzi Luo’s acrylic and ink painting, Chi-Ma, was selected by the YIHE Art Museum in China for the “New Year of Horse” touring exhibition.

Sunny Wu (BFA 2022 Illustration) combined whimsy and stability to create an illustration that reflects the energy she would like to channel in the new year.

Yao Xiao (BFA 2013 Illustration) celebrated one whole zodiac cycle in New York City with an elaborate painting brimming with texture and energy. Xiao’s work will be on view at Pearl River Mart Gallery, 452 Broadway, as part of its annual “Red Envelope Show” through Sunday, March 29, alongside work by Brian Britigan (MFA 2017 Illustration as Visual Essay), Min Liu (MFA 2013 Computer Art), Alice Li (BFA 2006 Illustration), Jennifer Nguyen (BFA 2015 Fine Arts), Jen Tong (BFA 2006 Cartooning), Kelsey Short (MFA 2020 Illustration as Visual Essay), and Jesse Zhang (BFA 2012 Fine Arts), and faculty A.T. Pratt, Hyesu Lee (MFA 2011 Illustration as Visual Essay), Shinyeon Moon (MFA 2017 Illustration as Visual Essay), Eva Redamonti, and Taili Wu (MFA 2009 Computer Art).

Jocelyn Tsaih (BFA 2015 Design) tabled at the Kitsby HQ Lunar New Year market earlier this month with special stickers, prints, chopstick rests, apparel, and plush keychains. She also designed the mooncake magnets for Little Moon Bakehouse’s magnet painting workshop on Sunday, February 22.

Looking for ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year? Events are taking place all across New York City this week and next: 

• SVA faculty member and lead technician at the SVA RisoLAB Sarula Bao is Think!Chinatown’s 2026 Lantern artist in residence! See Bao’s Xiao Baoma 小寶馬 at the lantern reveal on Tuesday, February 17, on Mott Street.
• Lunar New Year for All will host poster-making events on Sunday, February 22, at the W.O.W Project and on Saturday, February 28, at Chatham Library. 
• W.O.W. Project is hosting a confetti clean-up during Super Saturday, February 28, 12:00 – 1:45pm, on Mott Street between Canal and Mosco Streets. 
• Pearl River Mart’s annual Lunar New Year celebration will take place at the Chelsea Market, 15th and 16th Streets between 9th and 10th Avenue, on Sunday, March 1, 11:30am – 5:00pm. Stop by their flagship store at 452 Broadway on Tuesday, February 17, for a free tea tasting and lion dance performance. 
• And of course, don’t miss the parades and festivals! The New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival takes place on Tuesday, February 17, 11:00am – 3:30pm, at Sara D. Roosevelt Park at Chrystie and Grand Streets, and the 28th Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival will be happening on Sunday, March 1. The parade starts at 1:00pm, and the festival and booths are open 11:30am – 3:30pm on Bayard Street between Mulberry and Mott Streets.

Check out more events on the NYC Tourism’s Instagram here, and have a happy Lunar New Year!