Life is an experience that can expire at any moment.
So when Eunmi Conacher moved to Nanaimo more than a decade ago, she decided it was time to rekindle her love for creating works of art.
“Life is too short,” Conacher said. “Just do what you want to do because you might live another five years or another five months, you never know.”
Since her arrival to the Harbour City in 2004, Conacher has been expressing herself through colourful representational and abstract art pieces.
“I am very vibrant and an expressive person,” she said.
Conacher is this month’s featured artist at the Art 10 Gallery. Thirteen of her pieces are currently on display at the gallery at Nanaimo North Town Centre until the end of the month.
Conacher’s abstract pieces often include geometrical shapes and are typically inspired by cities and landscapes from around the world.
“I want people to see places,” she said.
Conacher was born in South Korea and attended Hong-Ik University in Seoul, where she majored in ceramics and fine art education. She also participated in a research program focusing on large ceramics at Tsukuba University in Japan.
“As a fine artist you simply cannot be financially successful unless you really, really devote to yourself,” Conacher said.
“If you went to university as a girl you were quite privileged,” Conacher said. “But if you are talking about a girl going to study school overseas, it was very difficult.”During the 1980s, Conacher studied visual arts the University of Sydney in Australia. At the time, it was almost unheard of for girls from South Korea to attend university overseas.
In 1996, Conacher moved to Whistler, where she fell in love.
“I stayed there for a little while and then I met my husband,” she said.
The couple remained in Whistler for eight years, operating a small business. After settling in Nanaimo 11 years ago, Conacher became artistically ambitious and started creating art using oils and acrylics.
“I was quite happy with what I was doing,” she said. “But I wasn’t quite ready to show in public, but I did do a little bit and many people encouraged me.”
Conacher first started out creating representational pieces, but has since moved on to abstract pieces.
“There are so many good representational artists, but for me I am transitioning from very representational to abstract,” she said.
In 2008, Conacher became a member of the Nanaimo Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists and is now an Associate Member.
Conacher says it has taken time for her to become confident with her work.
“Confidence doesn’t grow within two days,” she said. “These days I am getting more confidence.”
Conacher’s work remains on display at the Art 10 Gallery until June 30. For more information, please visit www.myartclub.com. To view Conacher’s pieces, please visit www3.telus.net/eunmiconacher/index.html and www.artbyeunmi.blogspot.ca.
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