This week, The Works member and
artist Nicole Lau is joining me to talk about her journey breaking
through her mental health struggles to create a thriving
professional art practice.
Nicole Lau (b.1992) is a
Canada-born Chinese artist currently living and working in
Vancouver, British Columbia. As an early career artist established
in 2021, Nicole works between Chinese brush and Western oil
painting techniques, heavily influenced by her mentors. She is a
grant recipient of the 2022 Research and Creation award and 2022
Professional Development award through The Canada Council for the
Arts. In 2022, Lau held her solo exhibition “Home Kong” at
Matchstick Davie, and participated in a group exhibition titled
“Together” at the National Housing Conference in Vancouver, BC. In
2023, Lau will be a part of a group exhibition titled “The Body:
Object, Product, Agency” in New York City, NY.
Nicole’s practice informs her of
her own personal dystopia as she navigates this world with a
diagnosis of borderline personality and bipolar disorder. Nicole
investigates contemporary issues that involve the acculturation of
Chinese immigrants, understanding her internal landscape, and
celebrating her history and Chinese identity as a Canadian
artist.