If you’ve ever shopped at a local art market or craft fair, you may already be familiar with Emily Chu. Though she focuses on commercial work and teaches at Edmonton Digital Arts College, she has become a staple at markets across Alberta, where she showcases some of her personal pieces.
Q: How would you describe your illustration style?
A: I majored in illustration, but through a design background. So although I do curate through a design lens, I start all projects with illustrative sketches for layout. Then, I sometimes incorporate text in an illustrative way. So there is a lot of pattern and shapes and even sometimes typography that’s kind of embedded into the illustration. However, the focus of my work is always on illustration. I do like to keep it pretty light-hearted though and just fun, colourful.
Q: How is your personality reflected in your work?
A: I tend to not like to do long-term freelance projects. I tend to prefer shorter illustration projects. Most of my illustration jobs range from one week to six months. A lot of it is more commercial and for magazines and product design rather than things that are over many years, like concept art or graphic novels, so I think that comes across just in the format of my illustrations, my temperament.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your personal work?
A: I find that it’s mostly about experimentation for me and to try different things and it really does help me grow as an artist. All the work that I do at markets, that’s probably as personal as it gets because it’s work without any clients and they’re one-off pieces so I can make something a little bit more funny or strange. And the thing with markets is that you can get instant feedback which is really great.
Q: What has it been like working with Royal Bison for the past three years?
A: I do really, really enjoy being a part of the market crowd, but in particular the Bison crowd. I moved here in 2011-12 and for the first couple of years I worked alone at home just doing magazine editorial and textile design and stuff like that so going out to the Bison was quite a life-changing experience. People were just so welcoming and it made me feel a lot more part of a community. They’ve just been so kind in broadening the community in Edmonton between visual arts and fine arts and makers.