Rabbit God Triptych

24” x 30”
Acrylic on stretched canvas, red thread
Permanent Installation at Northwestern Impact Institute


This series is created in honor of Dr. Brian Mustanski’s lifetime work of researching and creating comprehensive health and wellness programs for lgbtq+ youth and young adults. Each piece focuses on a timeframe of growth and development which coincides with one of three programs. SMART is an educational and life coaching program for adolescents. Keep it Up! provides screening, education, and resources for young adults. RADAR is a longitudinal study, aiming to build a broader range of data cross generationally within the community. The large scope of his research sheds light on environmental and other lifestyle factors that play a part in relationships and the risk factors of stds/stis. The other half of his practice is then taking that information and creating programs that are accessible and engaging to several different demographics.

These three pieces move through a lifetime of different experiences and connections, pulling comforting and mystical imagery. A rabbit accompanies each scene, although this isn’t just any rabbit, it’s the Rabbit God otherly known as Tu ‘er Shen 兔兒神. The Rabbit God is a literary character reigning from Fujian, China telling the story of unrequited love, but later redemption. In love with a court official, Hu Tianbao confesses his feelings only to be put to death.  However in the afterlife he is forgiven because his love was true and genuine, and he returns to the official in his dreams as a rabbit. Rabbits, associated mainly with heterosexuality in the West, are instead a gay symbol in China, and Taiwan. In each piece, the rabbit gains significance in its presence, acting as a messenger, companion, and protector of the subjects. The artist broadens the meaning of Tu’er Shen to represent the larger diversity of the Lgbtq+ community, however let it be recognized that it is usually used in the context of same sex relationships between men.

Holding interaction and research as important for myself, early in the project the artist held an open survey of friends and family alike. Answers were gathered across the community and each piece contains selected survey answers written on the side of each piece.

Click through the individual pieces on the left to read more about each painting and it’s relation to Dr. Mustanski’s work.