Artwork: Millo, Wish 2019, Lecce, Italy (@_millo_)
Street artist Millo’s new mural Wish in Lecce, Italy, speaks about the beauty of connection, and the importance of working together as community. The mural is located in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic social housing neighbourhood located where one of the biggest court cases against the Mafia was held in the 1990s.
What I love is the red thread twining the two people together and its symbolism. I’ve written before on the the use of red thread particularly in Asian art, where it has potent meaning. For instance there is the Chinese folk legend, “The Red Thread of Fate”. It tells of how when children are born, invisible red threads connect them to their soul mates. Over the years, their lives become closer until they eventually find each other, overcoming social and physical divides that might otherwise separate them. This magical cord might stretch and tangle, but will never break.
In the spirit of the holidays, Millo’s mural has special resonance as hopefully a time of love, connection, empathy and peace. And despite whatever trials and uncertainty we face, of wishing the best for each other and for the coming year.