life
About me.
Fiona Tang is an Artist born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, BC. She is most recognized for her giant murals where she creates an illusion to make animals appear 3D. She pushes the boundary in art by tackling the most traditional art form, drawing, in an unconventional way. She takes classic art materials such as charcoal and paper and modernizes the process by working unexpectedly large.
tang’s ART JOURNEY
tang answers her ART calling:
I first discovered my passion for art when I was attending University of Northern British Columbia. I was a science student majoring in Biology. Science came naturally to me—I understood and excelled at it. But being the top student in class didn’t satisfy me the way I thought. I wasn’t excited and all I felt was emptiness. I could not imagine dedicating my entire life to science when I could barely get through 4 years of it. After numerous counselling sessions, walks, and hikes, I decided to discover ways to feed my soul. This is when I found art and art found me. Sketching made me whole. My counsellor said to me “you have a lot of skills for science but no passion. And you have a lot of passion for art but no skills.” Either outcome wasn’t going to be easy, but I followed my heart. This was the beginning of my art journey.
tang’s inspiration:
There’s three major things that I’m inspired by.
1) My love for animals emerged after having my first pet dog, Cookie. He is a miniature schnauzer and lived for over 15 long years. It is through him that I connected with animals on a deep level and developed compassion. The silent conversations that we shared made me understand that animals play a vital role in our lives. Without him impacting my life, my art practice would not have the same depth.
2) I go for hikes or long walks at the beach whenever I feel lost. I find meditating to the sound of waves and listening to the music of mother nature really clears my mind.
3) I love watching animal documentaries! David Attenborough inspired my love for animals greatly. Thank you Sir Attenborough!
PODCAST
Listen to the Podcast Interview with ArtsNW to hear about her most recent project: The Cookie Series.
Tap 'download' to listen if 'play' does not work.
interview with opus
“go big and lose yourself in your work!”
In an interview with Opus: By All Means Create, Tang talks about her artistic process. See how she harnesses the objectivity of her inner critic to filter her creative thoughts until she feels the urge to draw the specific animal. She allows the subject and pose to be determined by listening to her inner self to find out what speaks to her.
