For Claudia Shen, an international student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), art is an important way to communicate.
“When I first came to Vancouver during high school, my English was not great,” she says. “I had trouble communicating with my friends and teachers, so I found art was a great way to express my emotions.”
Shen, in her fourth year of the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Arts program at KPU, is already making her mark on the art world. This fall, her paintings, drawings and ceramic sculptures were featured in The Journey — a group exhibition at Lipont Gallery in Richmond.
Born in Guiyang, China, Shen arrived in Canada as a 16-year-old. She began painting and drawing to fulfill her desire for self-expression. Her work reflected her inner struggle to connect – a sentiment she understood to be universal.
“I placed my own struggles within the context of society, so I’m very interested in the human condition and the nature of co-existence.”
Shen’s art is deeply personal. Self-portraits are hidden among organic shapes and vivid colours, tortured faces protrude from ceramic figures, and mirrors encourage visitors to reflect upon themselves as they navigate the space.
Yet, her work is laced with positivity.
“My art is not happy and fun, but it also aims to reframe the negative,” she explains. “Death, for instance, can bring forth new life. I can appreciate it and see the beauty of it. I want my perspective to offer people some positive reflection and ease their fears.”
Shen discovered her love for ceramics at KPU.
“We had a very good ceramics instructor named Ying-Yueh Chuang. When I started taking her class, I was focused on other mediums, but she encouraged me to really ask myself, ‘What do I want? What do I like?’ From then on, I found myself spending most of my time in ceramics.”
Chuang noticed Shen’s potential immediately.
“When Claudia took my intro to ceramics class, she already showed tremendous interest and commitment to the medium. Her work was complex and sophisticated, far exceeding my expectations. It is gratifying to see her hard work and creativity resulting in this exhibition.”
Robert Gelineau, another fine arts instructor at KPU, agrees.
“Claudia Shen's work combines the grotesque and the beautiful with complexity and truly impressive skill,” he says. “Although in the midst of her university studies, Claudia is already enjoying gallery representation — a testament to her currency in the contemporary art scene and evidence of the exciting work coming out of the fine arts program."
Shen has thrived under the guidance of her instructors — receiving multiple awards.
“KPU offers fine arts students many opportunities, especially residencies and scholarships,” she explains. “My instructors made me aware of awards to apply to, which led me to participate in many exhibitions and receive multiple scholarships.”
As graduation approaches, Shen is proactive about maintaining the sense of community she found at KPU.
“I really appreciate the KPU art collective, which is why I co-founded my own workshop — One Percent Studio. It builds on that sense of community, artistry and collaboration outside of school.”
In her studio, Shen is passing on her love of pottery. Founded on the principle that every artist possesses the potential for greatness, her studio aims to support, encourage and provide resources to artists of all levels.
The KPU Fine Arts Department offers students comprehensive knowledge in the field of visual arts, focusing on studio practice, art history and critical theory in a variety of disciplines. Programs include a bachelor’s degree, a two-year diploma and a one-year certificate.