VMF Academy Collection Artist: Andrea Wan
Andrea Wan is a Hong Kong-born, Vancouver-raised Visual Artist and Illustrator. She spent the last eight years living in Berlin and travelling worldwide after she finished her studies in Vancouver and Denmark. Andrea sees her practice as a container in which she can allow what needs to come through in her stream of consciousness. Often the otherworldly images and narratives are reflective of her ideologies. Her body of work includes but is not limited to ink on paper, murals, digital media and sculptures. Themes such as nature, personal mythology and self-enquiry have continued to propel her creative exploration over the last years. Galleries throughout Europe, North America and Asia have exhibited Andrea's works.
Andrea was a part of VMF’s first year in 2016 where she painted “Handhug". The piece depicts two people connecting by touching hands with trees growing from within their bodies. It is an intimate scene of connection bringing in the metaphor of trees and natural growth that can be found at 3048 Watson Street. Her piece for the VMF Academy Collection is part of a series called inevitable growth. The series is an ode to our inseparable relationship with nature, honouring our human vessels and gift of connection through sensory experiences.
VMF: We love how this piece highlights the human relationship with nature. Can you tell us a little bit more about your series “Inevitable Growth”?
AW: In my 20’s, I used to believe that one must go through some kind of mental or emotional suffering in order to make good art. At that time I was using art to help process my anxieties. In my early 30’s I had a shift that eventually brought me to a much more equanimous place. I felt a loss of identity because I wasn’t familiar with creating from this “drama-free” place. Literally nothing was coming out of me for a while. “Inevitable Growth” is an ongoing series that first came to me after this necessary idle phase. It represents the unfamiliarity and wonder of getting to know a new layer of myself that was previously unseen, and that felt like the new growth in spring after a long winter. A big part of this transformation involved connecting and realising my own essence which is nature. The series is an invitation to remember where we come from.
VMF: What made you choose this piece for the Art Sale?
AW: I chose this piece because I have never actually released a print from any of my paper-cutout works. This is the first one, and It was a piece I used for a mural installation in Annecy in conjunction with last my solo show prior to moving back to Vancouver.
VMF: We can’t believe it’s been five years since you painted your mural at VMF! Do you feel your work/style/influence has changed at all since then?
AW: I can’t believe it either, though it does feel like lifetimes ago and I’ve certainly changed a lot since then. It feels though I’d been journeying a lot both externally and internally during these years - externally as in work trips and longer travels in India and Nepal, connecting with people from different cultural backgrounds and vantage points which really expanded my worldview; and internally through mindfulness practice and healing work that brought me closer to home. I think my work has naturally changed as a result, and so did my audience, as well as the things I find inspiring. My priority now is to integrate creativity more holistically in to all the other areas of my life, and just keep making whatever I feel compelled to express.
VMF: What are some projects you recently worked on or completed that you’re stoked about? We particularly love the 77 oracle cards + poems you released for the New Year!
AW: The POESIS oracle card deck was an idea that had been brewing since 2 years ago. I finally had the time to make it happen during last year’s quarantine. I created this project with the intention to encourage people to cultivate trust in their own intuition through storytelling. I’ve always been fascinated by how humans from various cultures have been using storytelling throughout history to understand the world around them, process their dreams as well as their challenges. I believe that storytelling is not only is a fun way to connect to our intuitive abilities, but also integral to how we shape and create our lives. Like the tarot, the 77-card deck makes up a life’s journey. Combining art and poetry, each card representing a state or experience. There’s no wrong way to use it - you can simply pull a few cards and observe how the narrative speaks to you in regards to your question. Right now its available for preorder on my website. I’m really excited to hear what insights it might bring to people.