Blog

Miroir: What inspired VALT?

Kat Ferneyhough: There are several alternative fashion events occurring around the globe, and upon deciding to move to the west coast, we found it surprising that a city as creative and unique as Vancouver didn’t already have one. After years of operating as an event coordinator for art exhibitions, mini music festivals, and fashion shows myself, plus Kat Kozak’s experience documenting and managing events as well, it seemed only natural to develop one here together.

Kat Kozak: Ultimately, Kat Ferneyhough shared her vision for the initial concept of VALT with me, and I was honoured to be asked to be a part of it, both as a friend and fellow creative. more » “VALT2016 – 5 Year Anniversary! Exclusive interview with Kat Kozak and Kat Ferneyhough”

Q: Tell us about your beginnings as an artist, when did you begin to draw or paint?

A: I Started to paint at an early age, this became the continuity of my life, although in the beginning I was not conscious of the artist inside me. Over the years all that creative potential became an essential part of my lifestyle, until finally it became my profession. It all flowed in a very natural way to that conclusion. more » “Exclusive interview with Peca”

Seb Barnett, the talented artist, tragically passed on October, 8. Here is the exclusive interview taken by Jo David and Nina Pak with Seb for the “Fantasy” issue of the Miroir Magazine.

Q: How long have you been an artist?

A: Looking back I would start defining myself as an artist around 2005, the ideas of what I wanted in art, what my own art was about, and who I was in the world of contemporary art started to solidify at that time. Before then I was just making images that I enjoyed, expressing some emotions through imagery. Being an artist is about much more than just illustrating my own experience, it is about a relationship to others, the viewer, the models, the individuals who are thought of while the art is made. Before 2005 art was just about me. The mentality that made it more occurred when I started thinking about the impact my art could have on others.

Q: Have you been trained, and if so from what institution? Or are you self taught?
more » “R.I.P. Seb Barnett”

Q: Tell us about your beginnings as an artist, when did you begin to draw or paint?

A: As early as I can remember, I made art. At age 5 I was making Dinosaur Dioramas in shoeboxes and Pop-up Dinosaurs made of paper. Did I mention I like Dinosaurs? I always drew, but didn’t start painting until the age of fifteen.

At age eight I started doing flip-pad animations. They started simple, just a ball bouncing. They evolved into seemingly always violent, but somehow hilarious scenarios, like a car crashing into a tree. One animation is of a surfer being eaten by a shark and features an early use of my present “above and below“ motif, which has always fascinated me.
more » “Exclusive Interview with the Artist Mark Garro”

Q: How long have you been an artist, and what was your first memory of the art process?

A: I am not sure what I should categorize myself as. Whatever I am I have been obsessed by beauty ever since infancy. I tried to create my impressions of it when I was 3 by drawing a big mural on one of the sliding screen doors in the house where I grew up in Japan with the 12 color box of crayons my grandfather had given me the day before. more » “Exclusive Interview with the Artist Kinuko Y. Craft”