SkyTrain customers travelling to and from the concourse to the platforms of Capstan Station are treated to a mosaic adoring the walls.

Titled Breath Below and by Howie Tsui, the mosaic resembles an eelgrass meadow, which reflects the aquatic life within the Fraser River estuary. It captures the underwater life breathing beneath the Fraser River located under the North Arm Bridge and resides near Capstan Station.

In designing the artwork, Howie scanned the environment and cultures surrounding Capstan Station. As a result, the art makes commuters aware of the ecological life nearby, acknowledges the community’s culture, and recognizes and honours the Indigenous land it’s on.

Technique-wise, Howie used a compositional structure that resembles Chinese landscape painting. The central feature is the swaying eelgrass, which is drawn using a technique similar to calligraphic brushstrokes to show movement. This technique evokes a sense of chi, or vital spirit, which is attributed to both Taoist and Buddhist principles.

About the artist

Howie Tsui is a Vancouver-based interdisciplinary artist who constructs tense, fictive environments that undermine venerated art forms stemming from the Chinese literati tradition.

Tsui’s works feature in prominent public collections, including the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Gallery of Canada, McMichael Canadian Art Collection and M+ in Hong Kong, among other institutions.

Find more artworks in Metro Vancouver’s transit system using our public art map.