Painting peace from bloody history of Manhattan street

Chen describes his work as "not about dreams, but rather a kind of reality, a kind of memory, a mental world, the intersection between sensation and illusion and it takes time to find a way in".

Chen is interested in how people react to his work. After the artwork is done, he transforms himself into an observer.

"I keep an eye on people who visit the site and post photos on Instagram with hashtags, and I like to interact with them," he said.

"It seems everybody loves it so far.

"Over time, the colors will fade and finally disappear. It should look different over different stages. It's just the character of my art, which is integrated into the street, reflecting the changes of time."

Currently, Chen lives and works in New York and Hangzhou. Living in New York, the ethnic melting pot, he said, gives him the opportunity to think about his identity.

"I feel honored to contribute to the community of my own ethnic group and use my brush to tell the story of the past, the present and the future of Chinatown," he said.

The Seasonal Street will be on display daily and closed to all vehicles from 10 am to 9 pm until Nov 1.