Cambie Village joined 10 other Vancouver neighbourhoods to celebrate the rich creativity and innovation of the talented artists who took part in the 2021 Vancouver Mural Festival. This was the first year Cambie Village took part in the annual event and celebrated its conclusion at the West 17th Plaza in Cambie Village.
The Cambie Village Business Association funded the painting of five murals located throughout the Cambie neighbourhood. The murals were designed and painted by four different artists, each of whom took inspiration from their diverse walks of life and artistic visions.
Arty Guava
Born and raised in Malaysia, Arty is a graphic artist and illustrator who uses the quiet moments of daily life, the natural world, and her own childhood memories, as inspiration for her designs. Her style is bold and playful, and she loves bringing joy into people’s lives through her artwork.
Arty’s mural at Cambie Village was influenced by the feeling of togetherness and overcoming the challenges life presents us with. This proved to be somewhat prophetic as a personal family matter meant Arty only had three days to complete her mural, so reached out to the local community in search of help to finish her painting.
She was overwhelmed by the support she received and managed to complete the mural within the reduced time frame. The mural stands proud on West 17th and reflects the ideas of togetherness and kindness Arty originally took inspiration from beyond her initial imagination.
You can find out more about Arty and her work here.
Caitlin McDonagh
Caitlin is a Canadian visual artist, illustrator, and muralist who creates intricate illustrative works that are deeply inspired by folklore, symbolism, and the natural world. Caitlin’s goal with her work is to build her own personal folklore by producing work that is open for interpretation allowing viewers to find stories within it.
As part of the Vancouver Mural Festival, Caitlin’s mural, “The Garden”, on the north wall of the 17th plaza, captures the colours of the world, and set to portray how self-preservation and learning to let go (prune) and nourish (water) is what you need to let yourself flourish.
You can find out more about Caitlin and her work here.
Andrew McGuire
As an illustrator and graphic designer based in Vancouver, Andrew has developed a diverse skill set matched with a playful style that has been utilized with clients in various industries.
Andrew’s goal is to appeal to a large audience and does so by using send positive imagery with humorous, and entertaining illustrations. His art is often defined by dynamic and eye-catching designs that are full of colour and personality.
His mural in Cambie Village focused on a fun and family-friendly theme considering the proximity of the school, day-care, and ice cream parlour to the mural’s placement. This was achieved with lively and unique designs with a range of playful colours.
You can find out more about Andrew and his work here.
Chris Perez
Chris Perez is a Canadian based Filipino artist practicing in abstract painting and mural art. Chris works mostly as a painter and uses his experience as a house painter towards creating large scale murals.
Perez’s mural for the VMF, titled Ethereal Paradise, is an exploration of personal and cultural identity, expressive of his Filipino roots.
Perez describes the mural as “an accumulation of various florals that when combined together, create a sense of ethereal beauty… It (the mural) explores memory, heritage, nostalgia, and family through the lens of a first generation Asian-Canadian. The unconscious movement of painting produces a learning experience for viewer and artist alike, as expressions in spray paint mechanics take the lead.”
The mural can be found on W.23rd and Cambie at Corner 23.
You can find out more about Chris and his work here.
All 2021 murals in Cambie Village as part of the Vancouver Mural Festival were funded by the Cambie Village Business Association.
T.W.
