Artist Statement

 

For me, art began as a healing tool from illness but grew into a passion and a career. I want to spread hope and optimism through these pieces, drawing from the depths of suffering transformed into a new entity, a rebirth.

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My cityscapes are about anonymity, isolation and memory. My father was an architect who taught me aspects of design and perspective. In my house portraits, I have painted commissions of homes in Vancouver and Ontario. Homes provide us with comfort and belonging but may also separate us from engagement. We build silos between our private selves and our public identities. I am drawn to older homes built in the 1950-60s which are slowly being replaced by newer types of residences. They are part of the fabric of East Vancouver. I use the phrase 'disappearing city' as Vancouver goes through changes toward higher density and more contemporary architecture. 

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I dabble in landscape and abstracts and also have a fascination for florals. I respond to the curvaceous forms and the vibrant colours of the blossoms which are a delight to paint. I like to depict the imperfect, the subtle variations of tone, and the cycle of life of the blooms, capturing their essence before they fade away. I'm influenced by Georgia O'Keeffe, Claude Monet and many others.

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Artist Biography

 

Sandra Yuen's focus is painting. Illuminated by fresh colours, her paintings are inspiring. She has worked as an artist for over 15 years in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She received a Fine Arts Diploma from Langara College and Bachelor of Arts in art history from the University of British Columbia. 

Under the pen name, Sandra Yuen MacKay she wrote ​My Schizophrenic Life: The Road to Recovery from Mental Illness, ​​Chop Shtick​, and ​From New York to Vancouver: Stories on the Fly​ with New York writer, James D. Young.​ She is releasing a poetry book I Want to Be Buried Standing Up this fall. And her work is in the Off the Map anthology to be published May 2025.

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She is also a speaker on recovery and the recipient of the Courage to Come Back Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Her artwork is in public and private collections in North America. She's the drummer for Beautiful Lizards.

Sandra's artwork has been exhibited at Thieu Art Gallery, Federation Gallery, Vancouver Fine Art Gallery, Art in the Garden, Fragrant Wood Gallery, Silk Purse (West Vancouver), Port Moody Arts Centre, CityScape Community Art Space (North Vancouver), Place Des Arts (Coquitlam), Eastside Culture Crawl, Federal Courts, Sheraton Wall Centre, Havana Gallery, University Women's Club of Vancouver (Hycroft), Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival, Gallery Gachet, Vancouver General Hospital, The Gathering Place, the Jewish Community Centre, and other venues.