Diana Lin was made in Taiwan, brought up in Coquitlam, and is currently doodling away in Vancouver. Along with being a talented artist in an array of mediums, Diana is also our shop apprentice! Diana's unique style of artistry challenges the imagination to dip into vulnerable emotion and self discovery. We're proud to exhibit Diana's very first showcase, and to have her part of the Liquid Amber team.

Diana's showcase will be on display until early September, 2016.
Prints are available for $40.

Artist interview:

What is your art often inspired by?

"My random train of thoughts that seem to never end up anywhere useful. Most of the time, I use drawing as a way of documenting my current state of mind, kind of like a visual diary. For example, one of the featured pieces was painted when I had a migraine, while another was painted when I felt homesick. Every time I feel strongly about something, I take an emotional screenshot and then I doodle it out as stress relief. In terms of artists, two of my biggest influences are Hayao Miyazaki and James Jean. Hayao Miyazaki is the father to my fountain of imagination. His studio never stops gushing out wild characters and crazy tales. Their animations' greatest strength is, even when they seem to have one hundred wild imaginative components, everything becomes one cohesive unit to tell one solid story. James Jean has always been one of my favourite painter/ illustrators. The way his lines are so fluid, his attention to detail, and the morphing of different elements together create such interesting pieces that really pulls the viewers in."

When did you start making art a priority in your life?

"If I really had to pin point a specific age, it would be when I was 6 years old. This is when I discovered that art isn't just black and white; there's no definitive answer nor is there a standard way of creating art. Creativity is limitless and to the 6 year old me, that was mind blowing. I didn't have to restrict my mind to only travel within the concrete cell the Asian schooling system created for me. For once, I wasn't scared of making mistakes or being wrong. With art, nothing is wrong. Nobody penalised me for drawing disproportionate things or morph creatures made of different animals; I was allowed to be a kid... I had full control and I was free. From then on, art became a secret passion, a safe haven where I could exercise my beasts of imagination outside of confining cages."

When did you realize you wanted to turn your art into tattoos, and why?

"I first became intrigued by tattoo art's potential for growth during my high school years. Tattoo art was expanding out of the taboo of being only reserved for seemingly rebellious individuals. During my early university years, I came across articles of artists who are able to cover up traumatic scars for survivors. Tattoo artist became an occupation that has so much meaning behind it. They aren't just people who share their art on human canvasses; in many instances, they're the clients' best listeners. From then on, I've wanted to add my own awkward artistic touch to this ever expanding industry."

How has the process of creating this showcase been for you?

"There was definitely a lot of struggles. I grew up only doodling with pencil and paper, so digital painting was something from another galaxy to me. The showcase probably took me a lot longer than it should have to complete, as I was exploring and learning how to utilise the different tools Photoshop has to offer. I also wanted the viewers to get to know me, so I created pieces that reflect my personality or what I'm going through at the moment. The birthing process started out with me having serious reservations about my artistic ability. This is my first show case and I didn't know what to expect at all especially when I decided to use a medium I seldom work with. Being comfortable with my vulnerability is definitely the most valuable reward out of this process."