New York, New York, New York, 2025
Ruoyun Dai
Advanced lenticular print, 18 1/4 x 18 1/4 inches
This lenticular art series by Ruoyun Dai views New York City through the eyes of three familiar animal residents, reimagined as human-like characters in playful yet honest stories. Each piece uses up to 56 frames to create a sense of motion, bringing the city’s contrasts to life through subtle animation. These series exhibited at Art On Paper New York 2025.
The Squirrles in SoHo
Edition: 2/3Two squirrels fighting over a slice of pepperoni pizza on a fire escape in downtown Manhattan. It turns a silly moment into a symbol of competition, want, and the daily fight for space and attention in a hungry city.
The Rat on Fifth
Edition: 2/3A rat running inside the big clock of a Fifth Avenue building near the Flatiron. With the sharp thought—“I walk faster than New Yorkers, and I don’t even get paid”—it speaks to the city’s exhausting speed and the push to always do more.
The Pigeons from Jersey
Edition: 1/3A fun tribute to the 1932 photo Lunch atop a Skyscraper. By swapping the steelworkers with pigeons, the piece reflects on movement, watching, and the quiet lives that sit just outside the spotlight.