Launch Pad

Artist's statement

This design originated from a painting I created in 2018. While unfolding a long-neglected canvas, I discovered intricate, beautiful creases that sparked my creativity. Intuitively, I began to paint these lines in green, developing an interesting design around them that resonates with my Indigenous roots. This pattern has been a significant part of my artistic journey for many years.

In 2020, I incorporated this design into a small fashion collection at the John Casablancas Institute, and I am excited to revisit it now as I expand into a new collection, which I hope to unveil soon. This design feels like a constant companion in my work, deeply connected to my identity, and I anticipate it will remain a part of my artistic expression for years to come.

Artist's statement

Conceived in Germany while studying Gustave Courbet’s series of Wave paintings, this work depicts the iconic Haribo gummy bear synonymous with German sweets tumbling through a turbulent wave.

The image was born as a satirical nod to classical painting in a contemporary context; each gummy bear thrashes in the water ignoring formal perspective and logical depth, competing against each other to claim the forefront of the picture plane. The wave of green gummy bears swell as they culminate in the upper centre of the painting, conveying a sweeping dramatized formation of gummy bears against a stylized backdrop which references Courbet’s realist seascape paintings.

Artist's statement

With Lunar Pool, I wanted to capture the sensation of moving through watery liminal spaces. Watercolour painting naturally conveys this, with its transference of movement from hand to paper through pigmented water. The process is mysterious, with unexpected results. The combination of pigment, water, and movement produce oneiric landscapes for the mind to wander through.

In this instance, I specifically wanted to recall a memory of swimming in the water off Jericho Beach at sunset. The diminishing rays of sunlight mixed with the sky, turning the water pink and blue. There was little distinction between water and air. My body dissolved in liquid colour and I felt a sense of belonging to something bigger and more universal, a sensation I strive to duplicate in my work.

Artist's statement

This piece was created over several weeks using a unique dyeing and painting technique involving ammonia and acrylic paint.

By leaving the imagery unresolved, my paintings invite viewers to actively participate in exploring the latent forms and shapes throughout. This approach encourages the audience to engage their own visual memory, ensuring a unique experience for each viewer.

I believe these moments of focus, reflection, and interruption offer opportunities to re-evaluate our relationship to form, painting, and ourselves in relation to the work and the surrounding space.

Artist's statement

Coastal Hills Overture, a painting that developed after my MFA studies at Emily Carr University, contributed to my solo exhibition, Coastal Reverie.

This piece furthers my exploration of landscapes and nature, merging intuitive expression with the fantastical elements I observe in my surroundings. It continues the emotional connection with the theme of nature from my MFA studies, emphasizing the dynamic relationship between nature and human perception.

This painting underscores my dedication to creating art that fosters a deeper understanding of our environment. As an artist and a guest of this land, it is my way of appreciating the beauty and complexity of nature and the space it provides us for living.

Reggie Harrold is a contemporary Indigenous artist from the Fort Nelson First Nation in Northern British Columbia, currently based in Vancouver, BC. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of British Columbia – Okanagan, a diploma in Fashion Design from the John Casablancas Institute, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of British Columbia, earned in 2023.

Reggie’s artistic practice primarily explores the interplay of materiality through textiles, photography, fashion design, and craft. Grounded in her Indigenous heritage, she investigates the personal, historical, and material dimensions of textiles, infusing her work with layers of meaning that reflect her identity and cultural background.

Lauraine Mak is an artist based in Düsseldorf, Germany and Vancouver, Canada.

Her practice investigates philosophy and political theory, both culminating in painting, sculpture, and moving image with an interest in visual cultures produced by late capitalism. Her work often explores the concept of repetition and simultaneous and paradoxical sentiments. She is interested in the exchange of dialogue in the realm of institutional critique as well as the role of the artist as producer in relation to contemporary modes of systemic manufacturing and mass production.

In 2013, she graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and in 2019, she joined the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf as a guest student. She completed her MFA at the Simon Fraser School for the Contemporary Arts in 2024.

Eden Veaudry is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans drawing, painting, textiles, sculpture, and video.

She lives in Vancouver.

Jesse Ross lives and works in so-called Vancouver, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səlí̓lwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples. He is of predominantly settler heritage (English and Scottish) and also holds ancestry as a member of the Stó:lō Nation with the Skwah band.

His artistic practice focuses on material choices that emphasize light and challenge visual conventions. He employs the unresolved image as a means of transformation, creating works that invite viewers to engage with the process of seeing in new ways.

Jesse Ross is a recipient of a SSHRC Graduate Scholarship and the Fred Herzog Award in Visual Art. He is a recent 2024 graduate of the MFA program at the University of British Columbia.

Kai Liu is a Chinese-Canadian artist based in Vancouver, BC, known for his expressive portrayals of landscapes. Utilizing painting, printmaking, and mixed media, Liu explores the interplay between observed nature and imaginative imagery.

Born and raised in China, he honed his artistic skills through extensive training in drawing and painting while studying traditional Chinese art. His work often integrates the aesthetic philosophy of Chinese painting and calligraphy, creating a unique blend of cultural influences that define his contemporary art practice.

Liu's artistic journey led him to Canada, where he initially worked as a graphic designer in Ontario. Eventually, he found his artistic home in Vancouver, BC, where he pursued printmaking at Langara College. He furthered his education with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Emily Carr University. His work has been exhibited across Canada, showcasing his distinctive artistic perspective and diverse disciplines.