Raised in Victoria, BC, Ella Chay is a contemporary artist with a BFA Honours in Visual Arts and a minor in Film Studies from the University of Victoria.
Chay is interested in how sculptural and two-dimensional forms exist in relation to the body and how illusionary expansions can distort our understanding of real space.
Alongside her interest in world-building, Chay has also been exploring ways of integrating her cultural background into her work. She draws parallels between these subjects to understand unconventional relationships and create a sense of belonging by placing objects where they typically do not appear.
Chay is the recipient of the Takao Tanabe Undergraduate Award in Visual Arts (2021) and was nominated for the BMO 1st ART! Award (2022). She is currently working out of Rockslide Studio.
STUDIO
She is currently working out of Rockslide Studio, Victoria’s largest arts hub, where she continues to expand her interdisciplinary practice.
“My work explores the connection between dreams and memory, using painting and sculpture to build imaginative, surreal worlds that expand into physical space. I primarily work with acrylic paint, paper mȃché clay, and digitally altered images, skewing angles and perspectives to create compositions that feel both familiar and strange.
These pieces blend time periods, places, and objects in unexpected ways, often drawing inspiration from classic fantasy films and their use of physical props and immersive set design. My current body of work reflects the unpredictable nature of the subconscious mind, where memories are deconstructed and reassembled and familiar imagery appears in unfamiliar contexts.
Through my work I invite viewers to travel outside of their everyday realities and into new, dreamlike spaces.”
PUBLIC ART
In 2023, she collaborated with the City of Victoria for their annual Commercial Alley Project. Click below to see more!
Serpentine, 2022, Acrylic and gold leaf on paper clay, 8 x 8 x 14 inches
FLORAL
Alongside her studio practice, Chay is an experienced floral designer with over eight years in the industry. She often finds ways to integrate her floral practice into her artwork.