The Learning Zone

with Camille Gan

Welcome to the Learning Zone’s first post in the series “What are you reading?” We start this series with Graphic Design student, Camille Gan. Camille is also an avid zine collector and maker. When not reading zines, Camille enjoys reading art history books and discovering designers from the past.

Camille’s first impression of art began when she was 3 years old, doodling a spider web on a square piece of paper which she has long since lost; she is 99% sure it was because she took it outside of the house at some point. By the time Camille entered elementary school she would tell her teachers that she wanted to become either an artist, historian or archaeologist. In some ways she has become all three when she enrolled in OCAD U to study design. Since middle school, Camille has enjoyed reading art history, something that she still continues to do in her spare time.

What influenced your decision to major in Graphic Design?

I heard from many people that graphic design is a really flexible degree and it opens doors to many disciplines. For example, I can do packaging design, web design, branding or even illustrations. It seemed attractive since I’ve always been plagued with the idea, what if I don’t like this specialization?

Who are your favourite graphic designers?

I tend to look at specific movements as inspirations more than individual graphic designers, to be exact, Art Nouveau and the Vienna Secession are my favourite movements, I think many people are familiar with Alphonse Mucha and I am also a big fan of Julius Klinger.

The later 20th century graphic designers I like have an illustrative approach to design; Tome Eckersley, Olle Eksell, Alvin Lustig and Hervé Morvan. I think the cartoony, boldly coloured forms used in their illustrations may look childish to some people today, but I think how clearly those designers expressed ideas in those illustrations is what makes their work endearing to this day.

What are you reading right now?

Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Lately, I’ve been digging into Russian literature. I haven’t  encountered many people who have dabbled into that nation’s literary traditions. Despite the novel being over 800 pages long and over 150 years old. I think it still offers a great look at how the human condition and emotions haven’t changed.

Have a passion for art history and Leo Tolstoy’s works? Please visit the OCAD U Library.

by students in Materials and the Anthropocene

Visit the exhibition at https://ocad.libguides.com/the_essentialists

Created during the summer lockdown due to COVID-19, The Essentialists: material proofs in extraordinary times is an online exhibition querying materials, memory and values that shape and define our human-nature relationship. Working across various media — from foraged leaves to digital video — students create new visions of life, loss and survival in the Anthropocene.

The Essentialists explores, earnestly, and with a wink, how seismic change brings the material world back into focus. Individually and collectively, artists show what it means to live at new distances from, and, gain new proximity to, people, places, routines, purposes, things and belief. Like a seed that has sprouted into the concepts of “normal” and “natural” — just as materials in this exhibition — have been transformed.    –Penelope Smart, curator

Artists:

Minkyung An, Tina Fong Fiona Chan, Andy Chitty, Jessica Darzinskas, Anam Hasan Feerasta, Kristy Fung, Yujia Guo, Wesley Huang, Bisma Iqbal, Arashjot Kaur, Andria Keen, Abby Kettner, Julia Kota, Ronald Lam, Jennie Lau, Eileen Li, Griffin McAllister, Sydney Millet, Farzaneh Moallf, Cassie Pellerin, Eric Pon, Mashal Pouya, Sasha Shevchenko, Hio Lam Kylie Sio, Wei Sun, Janna Tjanetis, Hannah Warry-Smith, Yicheng Wu,Yixin Zhang, Daniel Zhou

Tutorial Lead/Curator: Penelope Smart

Curatorial Assistants: Farzaneh Moallef and Hio Lam Kylie Sio

Undergraduate Research Assistant: Angie Ma

Web Designer: Heather Evelyn

A special thank you to Dr. Pam Patterson for her guidance, dedication and vision which shaped Materials and The Anthropocene and our online exhibition.

Alea Drain, OCADU technical assistance (Toronto)
Pamela Dodds, artist (Toronto)
Daniel Payne, OCADU librarian (Toronto)
Joanna Black, professor and researcher (Winnipeg)
Becky Forsythe, curator and collections specialist (Iceland)
OCADU Writing and Learning Centre
OCADU Learning Zone

Thank you Abby Kettner for originally brainstorming “The Essentialists” in our Feedback Loops.

Samiya Karim is a recent graduate of the Graphic Design program and after four years in the program she is happy to be able to call herself a Professional Graphic Designer.

We came to know Samiya from her time working with us in the LZ. When Samiya was not on the job, she could be found in the LZ working on multiple class projects. Last May, she co-curated an exhibition for the Learning Zone Gallery called House of Oriental: Northern Style: An Exhibition of Works Exploring Pan-Asian Canadian Foods. Also, a fun fact about Samiya is that she knows a lot of weird trivia about internet culture as well as pop culture.

We caught up (virtually) with Samiya recentyly to talk about her thesis project and more.

LZ: What influenced your decision to major in Graphic Design?

SK: I really want to say something witty and enlightened but truth-fully I really enjoyed making memes and making peoples’ days brighter

What did you enjoy most about the program?

Graphic Design is a program that really allows you to be a jack of all trades, you can explore illustration, motion, packaging, and really make the degree your own.

Can you tell us a bit about your thesis idea and how you decided on it?

My thesis idea revolves around recognizing the role of small businesses in the make-up of the neighbourhood. Toronto as a rapidly growing city is experiencing gentrification faster than ever, and those being most affected are Toronto’s BIPOC community. Bloordale in particular is a place that is close to my heart as my family had established their first roots there when we arrived in Canada. It is particularly sad to see these immigrants’ businesses disappear that often would give us access to a piece of our motherland in a foreign country. This project is intended to preserve that history and the memories of Bloordale’s diverse neighbourhood.

 During this time of physical distancing, do you feel that social media is more important to your work, and in what ways?

I feel it is both important as well as hindering. I feel that a huge part of my work is missing an essential part of human interaction as it is dealing with place, however I recognize that social media has the power of spreading my work much faster.

What do you do to relax?

I find building houses in the Sims is a great way to be relaxing. It’s something that I find great as a way to get rid of any creative blocks as well as distress. If I am looking to relax in short term, I often find myself meditating.

What are your next steps after graduating?

Honestly, my first step is finding a job that pays well so I can support my family. My second plan was to take a vacation to New York or LA but I’m afraid that would not be happening soon.

Is there anything else you want to share with us, any final thoughts?

There are a lot of things that are happening in the world right now, but all the new changes will hopefully be for the better!

Mia Đặng aka Miapear will be graduating this June from OCAD U’s Illustration program, with hopes to complete her minor in photography soon. Mia joined the LZ team two years ago and during that time we had the opportunity to collaborate with her on poster designs and other LZ activities, it was great to see her dedication and fun approach towards creativity shining through.

Art has always been my hobby as I painted cast figures every weekend as a child until grade 5

For Mia, studying art did not become a career consideration until the age of 18 after she was encouraged by her oil painting teacher to apply to the design program. Studying Illustration was a natural fit for Mia. Since the age of five Mia found ways to be creative by drawing, doodling, painting cast figures or working on art projects with her friends for fun.

Last month we sat down (remotely) with Mia and asked her a few questions:

LZ: What influenced your decision to major in Illustration?

MD: I initially applied for graphic design; however, my portfolio seems to fit into the Illustration program better. I found myself having fun with turning quotes and ideas into imagery and drawing, which led me into switching my application decision.

LZ: What do you enjoy the most about the program?

 MD: I enjoy the endless support from the Faculty and the community we have in Illustration. Everyone is very nice and helpful when it comes to critique and giving feedback. Another aspect which I like is the wide scope of Illustration field information we have access to in 4th-year courses.

Where are you most productive? Tell us a bit about your creative space.

I find myself working very productively all by myself in my studio. My working/creative space consists of books and art prints for inspiration, chill music, coffee or tea, a very neat table and tons of art supplies.

You said that you are interested in becoming a children’s book illustrator. What lead you in that direction?

I have always enjoyed babysitting my cousin’s kids since the age of 7-8. I love kids so much that when I found out that I could become a children’s book illustrator and read those books to them, I couldn’t think of anything else. Besides, I have a little brother who just turned two, so I can’t wait to make books and read to him.

What kind of books do you enjoy reading?

I do read for pleasure in my free time. I love romantic poetry and novels. Adolescence-centred graphic novels are also my favourite. Some of my favourite graphic novelists are Lucy Knisley, Jillian Tamaki, and Eleanor Davis. I also read self-help books to motivate myself to work and not to give up. I highly recommend The Pursuit of Dreams by Dr. Dragos Bratasanu. It’s a great read.

Who are your favourite photographers?

I have a few female Vietnamese portrait photographers that I love which are Dạ Miêu and Linh Bay Bong. You can easily look for them on Instagram. They are excellent at capturing women’s essence and intimacy.

How has the COVID-19 Pandemic affecting your routine?

I have always stayed an introvert and I spend most of my time at home. So, the quarantine doesn’t have too much negativity on my daily routine. The only things that affects me are getting art supplies, shipping out orders for my shop and getting groceries. But these tasks are not frequent so I don’t find it hard to adapt.

During this time of physical distancing, do you feel that social media is more important to your work, and in what ways?

Due to the virus, shows and fairs have been cancelled which decrease my exposure to the public. So social media has been a lifesaver these days for my works to be appreciated and showcased. People use Instagram a lot more these days which gives me more chances to sell and promote my works.

Does your work have a specific message or theme?

I want to spread the message of staying a child and look at things through a child’s perspective, which is why my works are bold and vibrant in colours with many character designs based on things we see every day like animals, fruits, nature…

Can you tell us a little bit about your thesis project and why it was important to you?

Like I mentioned, I love working with kids and children’s materials. So I came up with a thesis topic regarding children’s psychology during the summer of 2019. I also got to spend sometime with my grandmother back home in Vietnam and noticed that she was having mild symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

With the art direction of my thesis professor, my project Inverse Retrogenesis came to life; it explores the similarities of early childhood psychology and Alzheimer’s disease symptoms to subvert the perception towards aging process. This project is so dear to my heart since it shows how much love I pour out for kids and the elderly. Growing up as a Vietnamese in Asia, I’ve encountered how careful adults and children treat their elderly; however, I don’t see that so much in the Western culture. I feel like if I grow old here in the West, I’m just gonna end up in the long-term care home. As a result, through the thesis project, I want to affect how people think about aging and perhaps make people think twice about how they treat their elderly. Getting old is as similar as growing up. We love kids and emphasize with them so much, why not the elderly?

What are your next steps after graduating?

I want to find a full-time job in a publishing company. Ideally, the position of a book cover illustrator as the starting point would be great. Then, I’ll work my way to get my books published. Along with the stable job, I will also grow my Etsy store and make that the second source of income.

Is there anything else you want to share with us, any final thoughts?

Yes. I want to give advice to my fellow OCAD students. Don’t ever think that your art is not great or tell yourself that you’re small. Just put yourself out there. Start creating something for yourself first. We always have to start somewhere so start right now and you are more than enough.

I’d like to thank Heather Evelyn for giving this opportunity to share my love of art. I appreciate this so much.

You can see more of Mia’s work on her Instagram and YouTube channel @ Miapear.

So much has happened since we last saw you. COVID-19 has impacted how we used to move about our daily life on campus. Seeing familiar faces by the elevators or while passing through the halls has moved online. The university has jumped into action during this difficult time, keeping students, faculty and staff informed and connected more so now than ever.

While community quarantine remains in place, we wanted share some fun photos from our digital album of our zine workshop series held this past January and February.

Each year the Learning Zone hosts a series of zine workshops for OCAD U students. The workshops are a fun hands-on experience led by Marta Chudolinska, a comic book artist and zine maker.

Learning DIY skills like binding or block printing adds a special handmade touch to your zines, artists books, multiples, posters or other material that is part of your creative process, and opens the door to the industry of self-publishing.