Artist-in-Residence to Create Dialogue with Local Communities Through Tea and Art
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden welcomes Lam Wong to his year-long artist residency
September 17, 2019, Vancouver, BC — Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is pleased to announce the official opening of Cha He 茶和 / Tea Harmony, a year-long Artist-in-Residence program featuring local artist, Lam Wong. The program includes a series of tea-themed exhibitions, performances, workshops, and educational activities. It aims to connect the Garden with other cultural organizations and heritage spaces in Vancouver Chinatown, activating these historical spaces as art galleries.
“We are excited to welcome Lam Wong to his artist residency at the Garden,” said Vincent Kwan, Executive Director of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. “This creates opportunities for the Garden and Lam Wong to strengthen our connections with local communities and celebrate our heritage together.”
Kicking off the year-long program is a four-month exhibition titled Chaji 茶寂, showcasing a diverse genre of artwork of five curated artists together with Lam Wong. All artists have in various ways been inspired by tea or Eastern philosophy, especially Buddhism, Taoism and Zen. In addition to the four established artists — Lam Wong’s father Don Wong, Arthur Cheng, Bryan Mulvihill, and Chick Rice — the exhibition also features the works of John Cage, an influential and illuminating American artist/composer.
Alongside Chaji, Lam Wong has also initiated Garden Tea House, a year-long tea house in the Garden’s Scholar Room, where local artists and cultural builders will visit Lam Wong, and share their stories and create new projects collaboratively over a cup of tea.
“As the tea sages would often say, ‘One tea gathering, once a lifetime (一期一會).’ I look forward to hosting others in our beautiful tea art space, learning about their heritage, their culture and stories, and be inspired,” added Lam Wong.
Chaji is now open at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, until January 10, 2020. To learn more, visit vancouverchinesegarden.com/experience/exhibitions/chaji-茶寂/
About Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is a cultural heritage site and registered museum in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown. The Garden is operated by The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society of Vancouver, a non-profit charitable organization, under an agreement with the Vancouver Park Board. www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
About Lam Wong
Lam Wong is a visual artist, designer and curator based in Vancouver, BC. His interest is primarily rooted in regional West Coast art history, with an emphasis on the development of painting and its avant-garde narrative. Lam Wong’s creative approach is often concerned with bending Eastern philosophies and challenging the notion of painting. He is currently practicing painting and tea related artwork as his main media. Lam Wong sees art making as an on-going spiritual practice. His main subjects are the perception of reality, the meaning of art, and the relationships between time, memory, and space. www.lamwong.com
Media Contact
Joyce Lam
604 721 8929
joyce@kumquatmarketing.ca
