We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yen Linh Thai a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Yen Linh thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Many of my projects are inspired by stories from my family and culture, and most are made for a specific spot with it’s community in mind. Over the course of exploring, researching, designing, connecting with a place and its people, and carrying out the project with the hopes of it fitting in as a part of a community, they all grow to feel meaningful. It’s tough to choose just a few!
Flourish is a mural freshly installed this Summer in the Bank of Montreal at South Common Mall, Mississauga. It’s part of the BMO National Mural series in partnership with STEPS and many artists across Canada. Flourish features a gathering of friends frolicking, flowering and fluttering by the Credit River in Erindale Park. Erindale is connected to the Riverwood Conservancy, and these parks are one of my absolute favourite places to be. I have many memories of loved ones here, it’s peaceful, and always full of animal encounters. I love that an important place to me and many others can be celebrated this way, and that my artwork can bring a little of the magic of our green spaces to the community in their everyday lives.
There’s several projects that were made for spaces with children (including the Peel Children’s Aid Society Playroom with Murals with MAC, To Infinity and Beyond at the AGO and Alderwood Action After School’s playground). For opportunities like these, I try to bring in as much whimsy and colour as possible to brighten the space, make it welcoming, and encourage play. There’s something special about the wonder and joy that kids express, and I try to emulate that in the artwork.
Last but definitely not least, my first public art project – the Sculpture Court Skate Park Murals. This was a mentorship under Mango Peeler with 9 other emerging artists with the City of Mississauga. This project is the one that got me started in public art. It was only a week, but that one week of hot, vivid colours and off-the-charts energy left a lasting impression and continues to inspire me years later. Thank you Mango!
Yen Linh, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Yen Linh Thai (Linh, she/her). I am a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator and muralist based in Mississauga, Ontario. My art practice is largely inspired by stories and storytelling, and I would describe my work as whimsical, playful, and colourful. I try to make art that exists between two and three dimensions, which has led to working in a variety of mediums including projection, papercut, stop motion animation, collage and more.
A little about me:
– I love animals, adventure, and food! You will definitely see these recurring themes
– My upbringing being in-between cultures informs my perspective and also my artwork in many ways. I am Vietnamese-Chinese Canadian. Ethnically more Chinese, culturally more Vietnamese and born in Canada.
– Reiterating my love for animals yet again; in school I did a double major in animal biology and studio art. Technically I have a BScH but work in the arts.
Since 2016, I’ve had experience facilitating art workshops for all ages from young children to seniors. I don’t teach as often anymore but do enjoy the occasional workshop. I prefer opportunities for collaborative making or mentorship, as a mentor or a mentee!
In recent years, my practice has expanded to public art projects. These include painted murals and digital illustrations for all sorts of surfaces including walls, windows, electrical boxes, light poles, picnic tables and more. I collaborate with artists, arts organizations, schools, BIAs, businesses or individuals to create artwork. This process usually involves researching and exploring the area, sometimes there are community engagement components that inform artwork development. My projects take inspiration from their surrounding environment and neighbours; celebrating biodiversity and local ecology.
I enjoy a creative challenge and like to experiment so I hope to continue working on bigger and more interesting projects that are engaging to make, and to view!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
On the job, I’ve had to pivot many times! To get a project, sometimes I have to propose a design and go through a series of selection stages before its awarded. With clients, I usually have to propose a design and go through a series of revisions before it is approved. In both cases, there’s a chance that the initial design is completely off base and I lose the opportunity or go spend a lot of time going back and forth with reviews and edits.
After deep diving into research and making notes, finding reference images, putting together a colour palette, making proposal deck with artwork mock ups and detailed write ups, it’s inevitable that I end up attached to something I’ve proposed. However, if I receive feedback and find myself struggling to make the edits work, I’ve learned to let it go. Scrap it all and start fresh. It hurts a little bit to throw out the plans but it’s also freeing. Each time I was able to let go of the initial ideas, the next iteration has turned out to be a slam dunk. This has taught be to be a bit more ruthless when making creative decisions. I make the best choice I can and if it’s clearly wrong, pivot and move on instead of waffling for too long.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
A question I often get is what is the purpose of what I do/make? Or where will this lead me?
All valid questions. The well-worded answer is that through making, I aim to (re)connect with local communities and my own culture in an effort to learn and (re)share stories, document lived experiences, cultural and generational knowledge, language and memories. More simply, I find the projects I’m working on worthwhile because they become part of a community. I can brighten spaces, uplift spirits, provide a landmark and a point of connection and conversation. Through my work I can bring attention to important issues or celebrate people and our environment. My purpose can change over time, and continuing to experiment, learn and grow is what makes my creative journey fulfilling.
A career in the arts can have a reputation for being a hobby or financially unrewarding, but the arts give us culture, history, entertainment, and joy. There’s value to it and we definitely feel the loss when the arts are absent. For example, the pandemic isolated us from community spaces and cultural centers like museums and libraries, and the current writers and actors strikes have cancelled many beloved shows. While the arts may be not be the most lucrative field for many, a sustainable career is possible. I’m lucky enough to have the support to be able to take this risk, so I want to try my best.
As to where this will lead me, I’m not sure, but that’s not a bad thing. A few years ago I didn’t even know where to even start to get an opportunity to paint a mural, or what public art really even meant! Creative journeys are often open ended, but I think good things can come from making the most of the process; developing your skills, growing as a person, and being open to new possibilities. Maybe I can paint a monumental high-rise building one day, illustrate children’s books, develop art programs to enrich the lives of young creatives or do a 180 and become a bear researcher! I would be happy to do any of those.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yenlinhthai.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yenlinh.thai/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yenlinhthai
Image Credits
Mila Bright Anushay Sheikh Kyle Jarencio Jimmy Limit Jessica Hoang