Memory 99

The Memory 99 sculpture is certainly odd. It does look like it comes from an Asian culture. Unfortunately if so, the messages are hard for much of Portland to decipher.
It was interesting to see. Some of the characters have a unique feel to them. In a rainy parking lot though, I don’t feel as if I want to observe this for more than four minutes. But, it’s fine.
Help us decipher it if you can.

This statue is one of the newest pieces of public art in downtown Portland (installed in 2005) by the Pacific Northwest College of the Arts. It is on the block across from the school. The block it sets on is still used as a parking lot but is supposed to be added to the North Park Blocks at some point. Lee Kelly, who made the sculpture is a graduate of the college.
It is a big sculpture with cool lines. While most of the sculptures around downtown by Kelly are big and blocky this one is all curves. Another difference is the metal is dark and rust like unlike most of his work.
The sculpture previously was temporarily displayed at the Portland Art Museum when they did a retrospective of his work