Peeking out the window, you beckon.
Who are you calling? What is it that you see?
Nothing of course, yet what dreams pass before you?
Your existence is defined by the luck you bring.
This series of Lucky Cat portraits began as part of a project in New York’s Chinatown. The Lucky Cat appeared in my photographs of storefronts almost immediately. I soon discovered that this figure, also known as Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat) is actually Japanese, yet it is an integral part of the Chinatown landscape. As the owner of a restaurant on East Broadway once told me, they are there "to bring in the money."
As I revisited this work with new ideas in mind, I began cropping the faces to produce these portraits. To Bring in the Money has now expanded beyond Chinatown – I search out Lucky Cats everywhere and often find them in unexpected places. Each is different, though the differences, like the cats themselves, can often go unnoticed. Though mass produced, they are often unique and individual.
And of course, they are always beckoning.