Transit users might have already noticed the new artwork displayed at Aberdeen and Lansdowne Canada Line stations.
Richmond artist Fanny Bok Yin Tang is among the three artists currently being featured as part of the city’s No. 3 Road Art Column Public Art Program.
The focus of the exhibit is work created “in response to the theme of hope, resilience and strength,” according to the city’s website.
“The pandemic has affected everyone’s life in some way, from homeschooling to working from home, which have become the new norm. But it hasn’t stopped and will never stop artists from creating,” said Tang.
Prior to the pandemic, Tang was busy teaching students in her own art studio. The subsequent shut down has provided her with more time to focus on the small, yet poignant things in life, such as the seagull that greets her every morning on her balcony, the swan she sees on her walk and the flowers blooming in her neighbourhood.
These little things Tang encountered in her daily life have become bursts of inspiration for her artwork.
“We are isolated and uncertain, but we can still see the hope growing strongly and beautifully,” said Tang. “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”
One of her paintings titled “Crazy Yellow Daisy” pictures a plant growing out of a rock. The flower looks so fragile and crushable yet is strong and resilient enough to grow out of a stone, explained Tang.
“That is the situation that we are facing during this time of uncertainty. Everyone can find her way out of their predicament.”
Tang was born on the island of Nauru, in the Central Pacific near Australia (formerly known as Pleasant Island). Inspired by her father, who studied art in France, Tang wants to fulfill her father’s dream of being an artist.
The other artists featured in the exhibit include Keely O’Brien, whose work “Dearest” is comprised of a series of postcards that celebrate kindness, interconnection and community.
Also included in the exhibit is Glen Andersen’s work “The Old Normal – a storyboard for simple pleasures,” featuring a joyful illustration of children playing on monkey bars.
The exhibition will run from March 12 to Aug. 15.
