Richmond BC, Canada #richmondartgallerybc
Richmond Art Gallery presents a selection of works from the most recent Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival (VOAF). An annual event, VOAF is the first and only festival for Outsider Art in Canada. It provides a platform for exhibitions, performances, sales, and learning to visual and performing artists facing social exclusion. It celebrates the perspectives of artists who are marginalized or self-taught, and have dedicated their practice to artistic expression. As the VOAF states, “Outsider Art is different, this art shakes up what you think you know about art and sometimes delves headfirst into challenging social and political issues.”
This collection of works by Sandra Yuen was born out of developing a precise and organized style of work. Her house portraits focus on the disappearing city of Vancouver as old buildings are constantly being torn down and replaced. While her house portraits offer traces of her architect father’s influence, her turn to abstractions makes these works uniquely hers. She is inspired by colour, emotion, intuitive thought processes, and the subconscious mind.
Sandra Yuen obtained both a Fine Arts diploma and a degree in Art History in the 1980s. She is, however, mostly a self-taught artist and writer. She’s been practicing for 18 years, using art as a healing tool to battle mental illness after receiving a diagnosis at age 15. Now art has become a long term career and practice for her.
For any inquiries about purchasing artwork, please contact the artist at sandra.mackay94@gmail.com, or visit her website: www.syuenartist.com
As a classification of art, “Outsider Art” had its beginnings in the 1940s when French artist Jean Dubuffet began a collection of works by artists who were not part of the conventional art scene of the time. Dedicating their lives to artistic expression, these artists often worked from a solitary and authentic point of view, and were little influenced by societal pressures such as the art market, peer competition, or dominant artistic trends. It was British art historian Roger Cardinal who, in 1972, coined the term “Outsider Art”.
Jacqueline Primeau’s meditative abstract paintings reveal her deep connection to the land. Her preference is to capture the mood and essence of landscapes that inspire her, rather than to portray more realistic depictions of her subjects. The primary intent of her paintings is to give the viewer a sense of calm.
Jacqueline Primeau is a Métis artist who was born in Edmonton, and currently lives and works in Vancouver. She has a BFA from Concordia University in Montreal and has shown her work at several Arts Councils throughout British Columbia.
For any inquiries about purchasing artwork, please contact the artist at jprimeau333@gmail.com.
