Stir ’Splainer: 3 visual artists on works in the 2020 Eastside Culture Crawl
Chrissy Cheung, Miriam Aroeste, and Alex Asai share stories behind some of their artworks on view at this year’s art event
Lime Light by Chrissy Cheung
WITH VIRTUAL AND in-person ways to take in this year’s Eastside Culture Crawl, there are hundreds of works to discover. Here are the back stories of some of them.
Chrissy Cheung on Lime Light (at top)
“I just finished it on October 29. It is a scape using the brights of the colour wheel. The hyper contrast between neons interested me to create this composition. Extreme density is a visual I believe every eye can get caught and entangled in for many glances to come.
“I always wanted to be a painter since I was young. I grew up constantly daydreaming and it was a way to keep track of ideas and feelings. I describe my style as abstract narrative. Although it seems abstract, there is a usually a landscape built within.
“COVID-19 has put a roaring scar into the whole visual arts scene. Exhibitions were either completely cancelled or postponed. I was part of the Asian Heritage Month festival in May 2020 for the Pan Canadian Culture Connections exhibition at Capulet Art Gallery. The exhibition still launched on a virtual platform fortunately as opposed to being cancelled. The planned artist talk that would have been in the gallery, went on Zoom. I was exhibiting in a gallery in Miami and due to Covid-19 and its impact on businesses, its physical space closed permanently. I am also the curator for the PAINTER8 Arts Society and we had planned an upcoming show in Vancouver, but due to many circumstances including COVID-19, it was cancelled. I did the Freebird [Chicken Shack] mural that was at 188 E Pender Street (at Main Street). The restaurant location had to close, and so the landlord erased the complete four-sided 20-foot mural that I painted.”
Miriam Aroeste on Missing Links
“This mixed-media work speaks about my own reflections on the current situation in terms of the information and misinformation we get, how it’s hard to know what to believe. There are always holes and missing links. Confusion, lack of clarity, division...
“I started doing art 30 years ago to relax from my very busy work in the film Industry as a production manager. I immediately fell in love with the feeling of freedom and deep connection. Then art became my main passion and I decided to dedicate my life to art. Every time I enter my studio, I say thank you to the universe for being able to do what I love.
“Since I paint what I feel—and not what I see—feelings are immediately translated into my work. With the pandemic, I've been using a more monochromatic palette and my titles directly reflect my thoughts.”
Alex Asai on Wayne
“I grew up in Edmonton, where Wayne Gretzky is a living god and someone I idolized as a kid. This medium [mixed-media/collage] affords the opportunity to highlight his incredible journey, broad experiences and accomplishments. I want this piece to honour an incredible individual who's had such a positive influence over so many lives.
“Every work is an adventure, a roller coaster of emotion. It starts with sourcing the right images to make up the composition: it can be a bit of a treasure hunt, constantly scouring craigslist or eBay for material late at night. In some cases, I'm using 40-year-old magazines that hold tremendous value. And then I literally tear them to shreds. It's a bit unnerving, adds tension and pressure, but through faith in the process and trust in a vision, things usually work out—knock, knock. With this style, I love the images within the image, stories within the story. My goal is to draw people in close while making a statement from afar.
“My participation in the Culture Crawl is a product of the pandemic. I owe the pandemic for this opportunity. I've been using my art to rebalance my life. I'm blown away by Matterport [technology used for interactive 3D spaces], both in ease of use and quality of output. I'm honoured to be a part of this and excited for the experience.”
Related Articles
