Motif of One and Many

Location: City of Richmond, BC

Completed: September 2015

Motif of One and Many explores the idea of a community as the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The colourful grid of tessellating triangles covers the floor in a new community centre and considers individuals and groups who have come together to form complex new relationships. Research conducted at the City of Richmond Archives inspired a layout that echoes ancient motifs and acknowledges the city’s cultural diversity. The word ‘motif’ commonly refers to ‘a repeated theme or pattern,’ a term used in visual arts, textile arts, and folklore. The origin of the word ‘motif’ also refers to ‘a motive,’ as in ‘that which inwardly moves a person’.