The annual speakers’ series brings accomplished artists to NIC’s Comox Valley campus each year, connecting students and the community with a source of insight into the creative process.
Series coordinator and NIC instructor Sara Vipond said this year’s presentations have seen the most engaged audiences ever.
“Our audiences have really enjoyed hearing from artists who have each distinguished themselves in their own way and who each bring unique knowledge and perspectives,” Vipond said. “The feedback has been incredibly positive.”
Tang is one of Vancouver’s most dynamic young artists, winning the Mayor’s Arts Award for Craft and Design in 2017. He received the 2016 Biennale Internationale de Vallauris contemporary ceramic award and was recently named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize.
Born in Ireland to Trinidadian parents, Tang moved to Canada at age five. He studied art on both Canadian coasts and the American Midwest.
He has since lectured across North America and his work has taken him to India, Europe and Japan. Tang has also held resident artist status at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana and at the European Ceramic Work Centre in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
Tang has also been profiled by The Knowledge Network and featured in the National Post, Wired (UK and Italy) and ELLE Canada.
His work can be found in such collections as the Seattle Art Museum, the Canada House in London and the Art Bank of Canada.
One of his calling cards is the fusion of traditional elements of art, such as ceramics, with techno-pop components.
"I think a lot of my work is mash-ups or remixes of different things — exploring those feelings of hybridity, dualism or multiple experience happening at once," Tang told the CBC in a profile this year.
He also teaches ceramics at Emily Carr University.
Tang will speak at the Stan Hagen Theatre from 6 to 7 pm. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.
The Artist Talk series previously featured artists Rick Leong (January 18), Clive Powsey (February 8), Rande Cook (February 22) and Nadine Bariteau (March 8).
For more information on the Artist Talk Series, visit www.nic.bc.ca/finearts.
To support future Artist Talk events, visit https://foundation.nic.bc.ca/what-can-i-do/sponsorship.
