By Dominique Hunter
AT just 27 years old, Cassandra Chu is carving out her niche as a creative practitioner whose distinctive works vary from beautiful paintings inspired by Impressionism to one-of-a-kind leather works and exquisite semi-precious gemstone jewellery. And although at the surface level these disciplines might appear to be completely unrelated to each other, Chu has managed to link them (both in theory and in practice) so that a certain level of cohesiveness is evident, regardless of the physical form the artwork eventually takes. But long before she made the decision to focus on those specific subject areas, she was involved in a different kind of creative expression altogether.
It was through Bravo Arts (the popular local face painting and body art company) that the former St John’s College student got her start some nine years ago. She admitted that at the time they were all largely self-taught and self-directed, relying mostly on the guidance of various online resources. And, it was after being exposed to the endless possibilities, that the medium presented that her desire to learn more about the technical aspects of art intensified.
What followed seemed a natural shift towards a more formal type of training and the decision to enroll at the E.R. Burrowes School of Art, for the institution’s one-year painting programme. After having successfully completed the course, she was encouraged by the school’s administrator to return for the diploma programme. She eagerly took up the new challenge and just recently completed the three-year course, graduating as one of the first jewellery majors the school has produced in recent years.
Reminiscing on her time spent at the institution, the young artist admitted that there was certainly no shortage of challenges. In fact, at the time of her enrolment, she was struggling to find a balance between having a job and the decision to pursue her studies full-time. She stated that eventually, the workload became so overwhelming that she was forced to sacrifice her job and put her art education first. And although this decision should have lightened, her schedule revealed that it was still incredibly difficult adjusting to the school’s intense curriculum.
Drawing, for example, was the one course, in particular, she admits was never her strong suit. But in spite of the difficulties she initially encountered with the subject, she persisted and managed to attain a level of proficiency she now feels satisfied with. She went on to explain that although there are many introductory courses that may feel quite burdensome initially, they are incredibly beneficial to almost any art career in the long run. However, she is of the opinion that the school could do even more by introducing a course that would prepare young artists to transition smoothly from art student to art professional. In this way, they would not only be less likely to fall victim to undervaluing their work but they would also be better equipped to market their work at the local, regional and international levels.
“The art school equips you with so much knowledge and skills but what they don’t do is teach you the business aspect of it,” she stated.
Elaborating on her art-making process, Chu explained that hers is one that begins with research and a mood board. Once these have started to take shape, a series of sketches to pull together a cohesive piece of work would usually follow. However, as with most persons in any creative discipline, things don’t always go according to plan. In those moments when she’s experiencing an artist’s block for whatever reason, she disclosed that her best bet is to be patient and wait for it to pass.
“With artist’s block sometimes there’s nothing you can do but wait it out. You just take a break and don’t try to force it. Some persons would try to induce it by saying ‘I’ll just do it until the feeling comes.’ But for me that can’t happen. Most times I just have to wait it out,” she said.
Chu credits a major source of her inspiration to the works of the late Post-Impressionist Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. In addition to his signature style (heavily textured brushstrokes and use of vivid colour), she revealed that his personal story is one that has resonated deeply with her. In the same manner that Van Gogh found relief in painting his various subjects, she has also found a way to use her artwork as a coping mechanism to deal with the challenges that accompany the “up and down” nature of her personality, as she describes it.
Although it is quite evident that another major source of her inspiration (particularly in her jewellery) is linked to the culture of Guyana’s Indigenous peoples, Chu insisted that she wouldn’t necessarily describe her artwork as being “quintessentially Indigenous.” Instead, she explained that while she acknowledges the simplicity of their lifestyle and their oneness with nature as the foundation for her own art production, she takes it a step further by using her personal style and sensibilities to reflect those same qualities. She describes her work as “nature-based,” particularly in the use of organic materials as well as design motifs and finishing techniques.
Chu also has an equally impressive portfolio of paintings and leather works. But she revealed that these present an entirely different set of challenges long before the finished works of art could be realised. Very often during the course of her studies at the art school, her creative output would be limited due to the scarcity of good quality leather hides in the preferred shade. Nevertheless, she has found ways to work around those challenges, adjusting her plans to suit whenever possible.
She expressed a sincere appreciation for the public’s response to her work as the first graduating student to major in jewellery making in recent years. With the momentum that has since built up following her graduation exhibition, she is hopeful a newer and even more impressive body of work would soon materialise. But before settling down to produce her own jewellery line, she is optimistic about one day working with an already established manufacturer to gain more experience in the field.
Her advice to anyone who might be considering pursuing any kind of formal art training is simple:
“You have to make sure it’s what you want to do. It has to be your passion because you’re going to run into a lot of obstacles. And if you don’t really want it then it will be easy for you to give up. So you have to make sure that it’s exactly what you want. That will be your drive to keep going,” she insisted.
