Pacific. Authentic. Local Artist Series

For residents and visitors alike, Richmond offers amazing views and enriching experiences, and sometimes we need to sit down to take it all in. Over the past 2 years, Tourism Richmond has been installing picnic tables and benches painted by local artists around the city for people to rest, eat, socialize over a coffee, or even celebrate a family event.

2023 has seen the addition of 6 new benches painted by local artists. Along with the picnic tables, they add colour and a whimsical flair to our wonderful local landscapes.

Be sure to stop by for a rest or photo at the locations below!

ARTISTS BEHIND THE BENCHES

AMY BAO (@amy.yunru.bao)

Amy (Yun Ru) Bao is a multidisciplinary designer with a background in visual arts and architecture. Her projects vary in scale from paintings and sculptures to installations and buildings, and range in medium from traditional art to digital rendering.

She is passionate about playful and interactive art — especially artwork that is publicly accessible. Growing up as an immigrant, she valued the vibrant blend of cultural experiences in Richmond. Her multicultural upbringing developed her creativity, and she is grateful for the chance to share it with the community.

Location:
YVR Public Observation Deck

The Design:
My design highlights Richmond’s natural scenery, its history as a fishing city, and its peoples’ pursuit of joy via recreation. This painting makes use of the bench’s two angled surfaces to depict a continuous dramatic sunset scene in two views.

The first view is upright. The bench back shows several silhouetted ships at sea, backed by wispy clouds in a shifting evening sky, with landscapes in the distance.

The second view is aerial. The bench seat shows the surface of the sea. The same ships on the right are reflected below. The same boat zipping across the scene is shown from above in its wake. The water ripples with the vibrant colours from the sky.

I have always found the visuals of large man-made vessels being dwarfed and engulfed by the natural environment incredibly aesthetically stunning. I hope this bench design can express my appreciation of Richmond’s dynamic beauty to others.

EMILY LAU (@emilyartgalleryvan)

Emily Lau is a self-taught acrylic painting artist, originally from Hong Kong, now residing in Richmond. Having spent over 10 years in the beautiful Kootenays, she was inspired by the surrounding nature, wildlife and the most artistic human beings in this quaint and unique town.

The Location:
Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, Chinese Bunkhouse

The Design:
My art concept is called Richmond Wonderland. I was inspired by the lifestyle and community bond in Richmond. There are so many fascinating histories and stories in this city. Scrolling through the town feels like reading all the great story books in the library. There’s exciting new things happening everyday. Richmond is truly a place full of wonderful things, animals and people. 

LEI TIAN (@leidesigner)

Being a local artist in Richmond, Lei Tian is passionate about our natural environment and cultural diversity, which are major themes in my art making practice to showcase a livable and vibrant community at large. Nature lover and graphic designer, she enjoys creating and sharing, you can find more about her on her Twitter.

The Location:
Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, Seine Net Lofts

The Design:
Lei’s design is a colorful painting with the artistic concept of fun Richmond to reflect pacific cultures and authentic nature. By using the brand color palette, it’s created with a combination of horizontal patterns and vertical layout for a visual movement and balance. The image is characterized with a creative expression of harmony and a storytelling style for a playful outdoor experience.

The design is a composition of 4 rows with different visual elements to match the bench shape and length from bottom to top. They’re complementary and connected to each other with a sense of rhythm and continuity. On the seat, the patterns of waves and swimming salmon is painted to show a beautiful sea life in blue and salmon red. The opposite direction of waves and salmon signifies salmon migration to swim upstream and lay eggs against the current. A series of motion design is illustrated to visualize salmon’s journey with the moving pattern from lower to upper. On the back support, the painting is in bright colors with sunflower pattern and 2 greeting words in both official languages – Hello in English and Bonjour in French, plus 6 smiling faces and a group of musical notes are added as the decorative details to represent a welcoming and relaxing space.

Lei says: “Nature, coastlines, salmon and flowers, our island city is a unique land full of leisure places, sightseeing spots and popular stories to both residents and visitors. Diverse, real and connecting, that’s the place where we live, work, relax and enjoy.”

Discovery inspires creativity. Lei Tian is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in visual communication and storytelling, she loves connecting with people and discovering together the beauty of coastal life and authentic Richmond.

NICOLE JANG (@seeyousoon.studio)

The Location:
Lansdowne Centre

The Design:
Snails remind us to slow down and consider a moment for pause despite the weight we all carry

This design is inspired by the meandering walks with my toddler where destination is a vague concept. Every stone becomes a treasure and every dandelion must be counted. We discover that the texture of one fallen leaf is distinctly different from another, so every single one must be investigated. We don’t get very far, very fast, but I’ve learned to embrace this momentum that is propelled by curiosity. Our pace allows us to recall forgotten colours and they seem brighter.

LAURA KWOK (@artandsoulcreativeco)

The Location:
Aberdeen Centre

The Design:
This design flows through the 4 seasons in the shape of flowers – a crocus for Spring, a poppy for Summer, a coneflower for Fall, and a Snowdrop for Winter. Subtle smiley faces add character and personality to the little dancing flowers. They are inspired by local Richmond blooms documented at Paulik Park throughout the years, the bottom bench panel features the four paint colours used to represent each season, showing various emotions / moods, almost like the artist left their supplies on the bench and the painting is forever in progress.

HILDA FENG

The Location:
Aberdeen Centre

The Design:
I find Richmond a very colourful city with distinct colors in different seasons, especially in the summer and fall season. 

I would like to emphasize the farming produce in the summer and the colour of the city in the fall. That’s the best time to visit Richmond!

ARTISTS BEHIND THE TABLES

AMY BAO

Amy (Yun Ru) Bao is a multidisciplinary designer with a background in visual arts and architecture. Her projects vary in scale from paintings and sculptures to installations and buildings, and range in medium from traditional art to digital rendering.

She is passionate about playful and interactive art — especially artwork that is publicly accessible. Growing up as an immigrant, she valued the vibrant blend of cultural experiences in Richmond. Her multicultural upbringing developed her creativity, and she is grateful for the chance to share it with the community. You can find more about her here.

The Design:

Amy designed the table while imagining Richmond’s intermingling of culture and history that is valued by both its visitors and residents. The fish leaping from the opposite side to meet in the center is a play on Yin-Yang imagery. Traditionally, fish swimming in a circle represented balance, harmony, and the connection of all living things. In this version, the fish represents the vibrancy and excitement that is born from the different cultures meeting and intermingling — the koi being the East, and the salmon being the West.

The edges of the table top present environments and contexts for the two fish in the center, connected by a body of water. It shows imagery from iconic locations in Richmond, specifically the docks of Steveston, and gardens in the International Buddhist Society

The benches are covered in a scale-like pattern. This design not only reflects the fish in the center, but also acts as abstractions for elements of the locations illustrated.

You can find Amy’s picnic table at the entrance of Aberdeen Centre on the corner of Browngate Road & Hazelbridge Way.

ATHEANA PICHA

Atheana Picha is a Salish artist from the Kwantlen First Nation. Born in Vancouver and raised in Richmond, she is an interdisciplinary artist who mostly works in 2-D artwork. Atheana studied Fine Arts at Langara College for three years, with a focus on ceramics, intaglio printmaking, and wood carving.

Athena has been engaged with public art through her mural work since 2018. She is a two-time recipient of the YVR Art Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship and her work is featured in the Museum of Vancouver, Burnaby Art Gallery, and Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. Click here to read more about her work.

The Design:

Atheana used a Blue Heron with a Coast Salish design as the motif for her picnic table. As someone who grew up in Richmond, she would often see herons during her walks which symbolizes home. They specifically remind her of Steveston as she has a fond memory of sneaking up on them with her brother while they were waiting for their parents to finish working on the boats. As her parents and family friends have strong ties to the Steveston fishing history, Atheana associated herons with the fishermen who are part of her life. You can locate her table at Britannia Shipyards.

BEA MARTIN

Bea is a character animator, certified medical illustrator (CMI), nature journaler, educator and Fulbright Scholar with a medical background. With curiosity and enthusiasm, her goal is to craft entertaining, inspiring and educational stories, merging art with science in both digital and traditional media in a creative collaborative environment.

As an educator, her goal is to create a safe space to support creativity, curiosity and artistic development of people of all ages. Bea launched Curiosity, Creativity and Beyond, thanks to Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives, which contains free and easy to follow “how-to-draw” animals and plants videos. 

The Design:

Bea had several goals for this design, in terms of community engagement, she wanted to promote education and preservation of bird species found around Richmond and their habitats. She also wanted to create an experience for kids and grown-ups while they sit at the picnic table and help create fond memories for friends and families that can finally reunite and spend time together again.

But also, to foster curiosity of the natural world around us and engage our community in identifying and helping preserve Richmond natural habitats. Bea has dedicated this design to her uncle and grandma, both painters. You can find Bea’s picnic table located at the Fisherman’s Park located next to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.

The Design:

This year, Bea has chosen to use squirrels as her theme. She wanted to bring awareness to the community of the importance of squirrels to our ecosystem. Once again, she had several goals in mind while designing the table. She wanted to educate the public about urban wildlife and safety and to help connect with the community through art and science. She also hoped to spark curiosity about the squirrels with fun facts painted on the table. You can find Bea’s new table at Britannia Shipyards.

CRYSTAL LAN

Crystal (she/her) is a Taiwanese Canadian settler working on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish Nations. Crystal is a program coordinator who organizes and promotes cultural programs that help create a sense of community amongst diverse neighbours.

Crystal enjoys talking with community members, creating efficiencies, working with creatives, and writing about art. She enjoys feedback even when program changes are not yet possible. In her personal practice, she makes illustrations and paintings for indoor and outdoor spaces. Crystal holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Visual Arts. Click here for more information on Crystal’s work.

The Design:

This bench illustration celebrates the conversations and communities created when sharing a meal. While we may not all remember eating from a bright red picnic blanket, the artists hope that you can also enjoy a meal on this picnic bench. You can find Crystal’s picnic table located at Fisherman’s Park.

DAWN LO 

Dawn Lo is an illustrator whose work has appeared in picture books, stationery, greeting cards, public art installations, and more! Born in Hong Kong, she is currently based in the traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, also known as Vancouver, BC.

The Design:

Originating from China, hotpot is a popular cooking method that encourages diners to share and add a variety of ingredients like meat, veggies, tofu, even leftover food, to a boiling broth. The interesting thing about hotpot is that it is a brand new experience each time.

The flavours differ depending on the ingredients combination and the atmosphere differs depending on the companies. In the illustration, you can see the characters are coming together for this communal dining experience – different fun ingredients are thrown into the pot!

Dawn used mainly bold and simple shapes featuring a bright colour palette to create a cheerful and inviting imagery. Just like hotpot, she hopes that this illustration conveys the feelings of community, diversity and connectivity of what these picnic areas can bring to the Richmond space. 

You can find Jeni’s picnic table located at Lansdowne Centre.

EMILY LAU

Emily Lau is a self-taught acrylic painting artist, originally from Hong Kong, now residing in Richmond. Having spent over 10 years in the beautiful Kootenays, she was inspired by the surrounding nature, wildlife and the most artistic human beings in this quaint and unique town.

The Design:

Emily’s artwork is titled The Soul of Richmond. It was inspired by the city’s beautiful nature. She believes the mother nature and history of this land enlightens the community’s daily lives. She considers certain elements such as the people and wildlife are the nutrients and the soul of the City. Click here to find out more about Emily’s other artwork. You can locate Emily’s table at the Richmond Oval.

JENI CHEN

Jeni Chen born in Taiwan, moved to Richmond, Canada with her family when she was a teenager. As a kid, Jeni loved to draw but stopped when she decided to pursue a more practical career in science. After the birth of her son, Jeni picked up her childhood passion and obtained a Fine Art Certificate from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. 

Since then, Jeni has been selected for several public art programs in her city. Currently, she is working on her debut picture book Emet’s Box to be published in spring 2022. And for fun, Jeni draws a webcomic series EJ Rascal about family life with her elementary school-aged son.

The Design:

Richmond is an Island City by nature and home to YVR International Airport, a gateway to and from destinations around the world. This concept connects Richmond’s natural heritage with tourism.

When kids and family are using the picnic table, they can pretend to be an airplane, trace the runway and imagine taking off into the surrounding area! You can find Jeni’s picnic table located at Aberdeen Centre.

LAURA KWOK

Laura Kwok is an artist and illustrator with a wild heart, young spirit, and old soul. She is captivated by the beauty of nature and her artwork is merely a small ode to the grandeur of the natural world. Her recent work focuses on capturing the fluid and ethereal life cycles of flowers and creating a personal language of floral symbolism as a means of self-expression.

Laura is curious about how art plays a therapeutic role in healing humans, creating connections, and strengthening communities. You can stay up to date with Laura’s creations here.

The Design:

This table design depicts the quintessential picnic feast. From the watermelon and ice-cream, to the red and white gingham accents, this illustration incorporates all the picnic peculiarities and creates a sense of summer filled with friends, family, and food.

Joining together for a meal facilitates conversation and community, and Laura wanted to celebrate those elements with this vibrant and joyful design. You can find Laura’s picnic table located at the Fisherman’s Park.

The Design:

During the pandemic, listening to music, song writing and painting were all therapeutic activities that eased Laura’s sense of anxiety. This design depicts a healing garden of creative expression and celebrates the vibrant spirit of art and music. Through hardships and challenging times, she hopes this artwork is a reminder to continually cherish the beautiful things that surround the public and to keep looking for light in the world. Her picnic table is located at the Steveston Town Square Park.

LISA TANIGUCHI

Lisa Taniguchi creates bold, vibrant, and hopeful lettering for brands, publications, and the public. She has worked for clients such as McDonalds, Zappos, Vancouver Mural Festival, and the Government of Canada. Her work lives across mediums, from digital, to print, to canvas, to large scale murals. Lisa often draws from her introspective, honest, but hopeful perspective in her lettering messages. On the side, she runs her own shop for fun and fundraising called Be Kind Club. Read more about Lisa here.

The Design:

This design was inspired by Lisa’s Japanese heritage and combines a love of Japanese food with lettering. The table top reads “itadakimasu” – a standard phrase said before a meal to show appreciation for everyone involved in the preparing the meal. In a bento like collage, the hiragana characters are complemented with patterns of quintessential Japanese food: onigiri rice balls, dango(sweet Japanese dumplings) and white peach. The seats feature a hand-lettered “Let’s eat!” with Japanese patterns to fit the theme. Her table is located at Lansdowne Centre, next to the skytrain station.

MARK GLAVINA

Mark Glavina studied graphic design and Illustration at Capilano College and has worked as a teacher and illustrator with various contracts including background painting for animation and private contracts and commissions as well as established a reputation as a muralist. In the 90’s he turned to developing his own fine art, exploring environmental and cultural issues, as well as working with the figure and portrait. Mark has been teaching and facilitating art for over 20 years encouraging the benefits of art education for all ages and a pioneer of Community Public Art. Click here to read more about Mark.

The Design:

Mark used this opportunity to create a youth project and a couple of his youth artists joined him creating this wonderful table. This artwork is titled Picnic on the River Rock, that is designed by Stella Lin. The table captures the feeling of sitting on the riverside, celebrating and contemplating the teeming life supported by rivers and streams. You can find Mark’s picnic table located at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site.

STEVEN LAROCCA

While Steven has always enjoyed drawing, painting, playing guitar and writing music his current passion is creating unique art pieces with beachcombing finds from along the Fraser River. You can stay up to date with his creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

The Design:

This design was created in recognition of Richmond as an island city. Lulu Island is one of the 17 island that make up Richmond and is the most populated island in Richmond which stretches from Steveston to just before Queensborough. 

A land acknowledgement to the First Nations via the script “Traditional Unceded Territory of the Halkomelem People was included on the creation. You can find Steven’s picnic table located at Lansdowne Centre.

SUSANNA LAU

Susanna worked as an illustrator, graphic designer and children’s art instructor after graduating from Emily Carr University’s Fine Arts Program. She currently works as a texture artist in the VFX industry. Although she works as a texture artist, she still loves traditional art forms such as painting and illustrating. During her free time, she enjoys watching movies and reading comics for inspiration.

The Design:

The concept for this work is based on Susanna’s personal experience living in Richmond. On one summer day, she and her friends were feeling upset on their way home from school. The sky suddenly turned grey and it started to rain. Instead of feeling miserable, they started to laugh as if their sadness were being washed away. This became a memorable day for them. To remember this special day, they bought some bubble tea. Since then, bubble tea reminds her of the days when she and her friends used to do silly things in Raincouver, Richmond.