Tenth Dawn reimagines the lone survivor of the Chinese myth in which archer Hou Yi shoots down nine of ten sun-crows to save the earth. A white crow hovers while a crimson “red-string-of-fate” cord hangs from its talons to cradle a spiked, gently lit chestnut that stands for the remaining sun. In Mandarin, ?? (lìzi) is somewhat homophonous with ?? / ?? (lì z?)—phrases meaning “to beget children”—so the nut becomes a symbol of lineage. Together, crow, cord, and chestnut trace a generational renewal, asking which memories, hopes, and responsibilities can be carried forward on fragile wings.
