The KCC Neighbour October 2005 edition
From an interview with an artist in Kensington Cedar Cottage
by Penelope Bacsfalvi
I had a great fortune to talk to Mon Sun (Divinity) very candidly about her art and her journey as an artist and how she came to paint her beautiful paintings. Mon Sun (Divinity) is from Vancouver and of Chinese Canadian heritage. She has lived in Cedar Cottage for many years now and has been painting on and off since high school.
Q: How do you create your art?
It just comes out of me. At the time when I do it, I don’t always know who it will be for… will it (the painting_ be for me, or someone else…. will I personally like it or what… I never know. My work is more free form.
Q: Where did you study art?
I studied to be a fashion designer and graphic designer. I also planned to be a computer animator. in graphic design we had painting and illustration courses, and I did very well in them – really, exceptionally well – but I never thought to go in that direction because I didn’t think that was something my parents would approve of. i studied at Kwantlen, BCIT and a few courses at Emily Carr as well. How I grew up… being an artist is just a fun thing to do not something you do as a career. So I had to go through my own challenges to get where I am now. It was a process to realize, “ya it is difficult, but it can work.” I was influenced by my parents, family and being influenced by oriental culture – it’s just the way Asian culture is – no art. The model that’s engrained is very traditional: have a traditional job, marriage, husband … and make money. My youngest brother realizes that my art is my purpose, my mission in life. Once meditating I had this image of me painting the walls with a child and having a good time – it was fun. I was getting paid for something that was fun. My model that I had grown up with was, “If you work, you get paid to work, work is not meant to be fun – work is work.” So it went against what I felt in my meditation image… even though i have heard it all the time and talked about it, that saying, “Do what you love” – but something in me, wouldn’t let me get over that barrier of “You can’t do it, it’s not work.” It took me a long time to have the courage to be a painter, I wasn’t ready for a long time to become a painter and give up my graphic design. I don’t know why I didn’t do both at the same time. it’s been a journey.
Q: What medium do you work in mostly?
Right now, mainly acrylic. I like to do gouache and I’d like to get back into airbrushing. For air brushing you heave to master the tool, it takes longer than acrylic, but it’s a fun tool to use.
Q: Your paintings are so beautiful, so sensual, and yet I see fun and whimsy as well. do you think your art has a message?
… I know my mission is to enlighten the world through paintings, paint the world with colours of love and joy – that’s my personal mission.
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