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Qian Cheng, Artist – Vancouver

Qian Cheng is an artist and organizer whose practice delves into personal narratives and experiences through drawings and collaborative projects. She holds a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design (2016) and has participated in residencies and fellowships such as M:ST, Calgary (2021), and Tentacles, Bangkok (2018). Cheng has exhibited across Canada and internationally, including darkZone, New Jersey (2024), Susan Hobbs Gallery, Toronto (2023), Afternoon Projects, Vancouver (2023), and Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey (2021). Alongside her solo practice, she has contributed to artist-run initiatives such as nap gallery, This Useful Time Machine, and People. You can view her newest body of work in her first solo exhibition, 1st Draft, on display at Afternoon Projects from May 1 to June 1.

  1. Songs to yearn to

I like to continuously put myself through hell with a certain selection of songs. It sets me up for a fruitful session of self-reflection, journaling, and sketching. Why else would we do it, if not to gain the ability to relate to these songs? I’m not going to list my songs, but I’m sure everyone has their go-tos!

  1. My hamster

This is Luigi (named before Luigi Mangione made headlines). I adopted him after his mom had to move away. I love him and he loves me.

  1. Green tape

This painter’s tape has held it together for me for so many years. Quite literally it is everywhere in my studio, but also all around my house. I live in an old building and things are constantly falling apart, but I have this tape! It has become a symbol of resilience. It keeps my drawings on the wall, holds together my secondhand, on-the-verge-of-collapse Dyson, and secures my bed frame.  It maybe even patches up a bit of my heart.

  1. This old book

I recently came across a book my grandmother and I used to pore over when I was a kid. She brought it for me from China when she immigrated. It’s a visual dictionary, full of images, sketches, and moments like an endless collection of tattoo flash sheets. Flipping through it now brings the same joy it did back then.

  1. Pokemon TCGP

I didn’t need another app, and yet here I am, completely addicted. Add me if you play…
Friend ID: 1839-0846-4178-6845

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