Booooooom: How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?

Andrea Wan: I make art in a variety of styles and mediums. I like to capture narratives from the mind and psyche, and any images in my subconscious that tries to make their way into the physical world. These illustrative images often look like scenes of a story happening outside liner time, with a combination of figures, animals and nature elements.

"Perhaps the act of creating is an attempt to close the gap between the internal and external world, or to seek a better understanding of myself in relation to the universe."

What is your motivation for making things? Why do you create?

A lot of the times I find myself making art without an apparent reason, merely because I feel like doing it. Sometimes I do it when I feel emotional, and the act of making something helps to move and process those emotions. Other times it’s less about me, and more about allowing something else to be channeled through me, however arbitrary that might be. Perhaps the act of creating is an attempt to close the gap between the internal and external world, or to seek a better understanding of myself in relation to the universe. Although it doesn’t happen all the time, when I’m in a creative trance I feel a deeper intimacy with life.

Can you share a little context or a story about this specific artwork, “Dancing the Dance of Life”?

I contemplate a lot about the different dynamics in human interactions and the energetics that make up our connections. I imagine these dynamics similar to a dance that looks unique and unpredictable every time. There’s beauty in each unique interaction — sometimes the dance is perfectly synchronised, other times it can be awkward, or chaotic.

How has living here in BC inspired you?

The nature here in BC is very accessible and never ceases to amaze me. The land always gives me the feeling of being nurtured.

With everything that is happening virtually these days, how important is it for you to still be part of a local arts community?

As much as I find social media very useful as a tool to share my work, it’s still incredibly important for me to be part of the local arts community and support one another in person. So much of my inspiration comes from sharing ideas with others who are active and passionate in making art. I learn a lot from creatives working in all disciplines, and I love listening to their stories and seeing how they work in their spaces.