The Crucible Gallery was packed to the brim with patrons, eager to get out of the house and mingle while taking in the bright and colourful images on the walls painted by qathet-based visual artist Lisa Hau on October 5.
"The days were quite hectic and full leading up to the show," said Hua.
The solo exhibition titled, Life in Full Bloom, will be open to the public, Wednesday to Saturday, from 1 to 5 pm, until Saturday, October 26.
"I invite you to join me on a vibrant journey from darkness to light," stated Hau in her artist statement. "This collection of
work represents my personal odyssey through some of the most challenging periods of my life, transformed into a celebration of resilience and hope."
Hau lives and paints at Coming Home Farm (formerly Hatch-a-Bird Farm) in Wildwood with her partner Aaron Ash, who is now a full-time farmer, and a longtime food and nutrition entrepreneur.
Hau's signature bright colours, nature and Buddhist-inspired paintings are enveloped in whimsical, almost magical-like brush strokes and images.
"The art in this exhibit is a testament to the colours of life and the boundless potential that lies within us all," stated Hau. "It's a reminder that our darkest days can give way to the brightest blooms."
Hau told the Peak that her newest venture has been to put her images on Converse-style running shoes and make her art wearable. In the back of the gallery are T-shirts, journals and cards on display, with Hau's colourful prints on them.
Hau said she hopes the paintings will spark inspiration for those who come to the gallery, and for people to have the courage to embrace their own journey, even through tough times.
Hau grew up in Red Deer, Alberta, and studied fine arts at University of Calgary.
"In recent years, I have also explored my Vietnamese-Chinese-Canadian identity, seeking to understand myself in a complicated social context," stated Hau, in her biography. "I was raised in a home that honoured its Asian heritage, but living in a small, largely white town in Alberta meant I often felt unsure about my belonging."
Hau first turned to art after a medical emergency in her late teenage years. Art helped her cope with both physical and emotional recovery.
"My approach to art encompasses the visual and the spiritual, merging my experimentation with colour and image with a practice that involves words of intention or prayer," stated Hau. "The explosions of colour and mark-making that I use to create abstract images or portraits of people, animals and nature express the wisdom I achieve through the creative process, celebrating what it means to be alive and connected to the world around us."
Crucible Gallery is located at 211-5831 Ash Street in Townsite.
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