February 2026

First time I heard about the Year of the Fire Horse was twenty years ago. In one of the chance encounters that make artistic life so interesting, I met a writer and a film director Julia Kwan, who was then promoting her new feature film “Eve and the Fire Horse”. A sweet and gentle story about a gifted nine-year-old girl growing up in a Chinese immigrant family in Vancouver opened hearts of local audiences, because it allowed us to see the challenges of our mixed multicultural society through the eyes of an innocent child. Eve used her wild imagination to process influences coming from all sides and make sense of the world around her. She was born in the year of the Fire Horse, which happens only once in sixty years, and according to the old Chinese superstition brings misfortune and troubles to girls. Eve’s vivid dreams blend with reality as she creates her own world of wonder, acceptance and love.

This introduction prompted me to look at the Chinese Lunar Calendar and I was surprised by its long tradition. For millenia, before it got corrupted into a mere superficial fortune telling, the calendar offered a very complex guide based on a Taoist view of the world and the Universe. The system was devised to help people understand and balance their existence in harmony with the planetary cycles. Twelve archetypes symbolized by the animals interacting with five earthly elements explain a multitude of possible energy manifestation in material and spiritual realms. The calendar still holds the ancient wisdom for seekers of today. In comparison, our modern calendar seems rather soulless, as the time is now being kept by exceedingly precise machines that have absoulutely no interest in human life.

The second encounter with the Fire Horse came years later, when I was working on the third panel for the Venus Triptych, dedicated to the Divine Feminine manifestation through the fire element. In the ancient European mythology, the fire horse represented destruction and at the same time purification that prepares grounds for renewal. It was a very interesting project. Wire in multiple colours blended in a simple half stitch pattern, creating a fiery surge against the dark negative space. I still remember the intensity of the work so focused that it at times felt like being consumed by the flames. Interestingly, when the viewers look at the picture, they often see the flames, without noticing the horse. Once they realize it is there, they can’t take their eyes away from the fiery creature.

The third rendezvous is happening now: the Year of the Fire Horse just started and it will undoubtedly bring a lot of raw energy and many passionate moments. While the sheer power of the fire element in high speed motion might seem frightening, with the right intention and focus it can be harnessed to deliver profound transformations. 

We are in for a wild ride !

Happy Birthday, Julia !!

And a happy, visionary and fertile year to all fearlessly creative artists, including the gentle but high-spirited lacemakers !!!