Dandelion rainbow Tree of life
Phase II
dandelion Middle school
20th Anniversary celebration
(Beijing, China)
Installation of new mosaic panels reflected on the surface of water on the basketball court.
Chinese myth & the magical world of lily yeh inspire a monumental mosaic mural
Lily Yeh and Barefoot Artists returned to Dandelion in September 2025 for the second phase of a monumental mosaic mural project in conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of the school.
In the Fall of 2023, Lily spent 2 months working with the school’s art teachers, students and hundreds of volunteers to complete Dandelion Rainbow Tree of Life, a 100 x 20-foot mural at the heart and center of the piece. Phase II of the project sees 11 panels on either side of the central mural (22 panels in all) covered in a sprawling, swirling mosaic that combines figures from Chinese myth with fantastical creatures and characters from Yeh’s imagination — all in her signature style.
Lily’s original sketch for 1 of the 22 panels.
From the artist’s studio to the schoolyard
Prior to arriving in Beijing, Lily worked in her Philadelphia home studio over a period of months to design the 22-panel mural. She created a swirling cosmos where magical and primordial creatures mingle with characters from Chinese myth like Ne Zha, the protective deity known as “The Lotus Prince.” In China, the sketches were printed to scale on heavy vinyl, cut into 4-foot by 8-foot sections and used as a template for the creation of the mosaics using broken pieces of colorful ceramic tile.
A rendering, to scale, of Lily’s design.
Mosaic production in full force!
Once completed, the mosaicked sections are installed on the wall, one at a time. Adjustments are made as necessary to make sure the final mural image looks cohesive, and the final step involves applying between the gaps in the tiles, creating a water barrier and unifying the image.
