SzeYun Lo and "Release The Butterflies"

By Will Shung

The world of art, as beautiful as it is, is also, unfortunately, a tough gig.  Just ask SzeYun Lo from Vancouver, BC.  SzeYun grew up being trained in the Lingnan style of traditional water color painting.  Having been trained by some of the most well known and respected instructors and masters of the Lingnan style from Vancouver and Canada, SzeYun has acquired both a deep knowledge and appreciation for this beautiful, yet seemingly dieing art form.  She very well could be one of the last (and definitely youngest) artists still practicing this form of art.  That, however, has not stopped her from pursing her dreams and goals.  Instead, she went about to improve herself, through hard work and dedication, and avidly promote the traditional Lingnan art form and it's rich history.  Since 2009, SzeYun has also been documenting her artistic journey on Youtube at her channel syloarts.  There, you'll find incredible time lapse videos of the making of some of her pieces (as well as some personal stuff too).

On July 13 SzeYun will be holding her first art show called 'Release The Butterflies' that will both showcase and celebrate her work from the past eighteen years.  We recently caught up with SzeYun to discuss her work, the state of art today, and her plans for the future.

FAME:  You are still very young, but you already have a deep knowledge of the Lingnan art form.  How long have you been making art for?

SYL:  I naturally wanted to say off-and-on for the last 18 years, but that's not true because I've been making art for almost all my life, one way or another. Whether it was in school, my spare time, side job, or day job, there's Graphic Arts and there's Fine arts in my life.

FAME:  How would you describe your style of art?

SYL:  My style is a mix of a lot of things. There is the Traditional Watercolour Painting styles which I was taught since I was a little girl and that is a style from the East and there's the art and art styles, techniques, and history which I learned from school and, having been raised in Greater Vancouver area, would be the art styles of the West. I think my style now would be a fusion of both of these worlds the - the East and the West.

FAME:  Different artists have different ways of doing things.  What would you say is your creative process?

SYL:  I don't think I have a defined creative process. I've tried sketching out ideas before flushing them but sometimes I simply know what is needed to be done and simply just make it into reality.

FAME:  What inspires you?

SYL:  I can find inspiration in the smallest things sometimes but what inspires me is really good art.  And then there are the times I find myself adoring the works of Old Masters. Not just Michelangelo or Leonardo, but even artists that may not be named, but their works of art, like beautifully decorated vases, are on display in museums and are over hundreds of years old, but their features and colors still hold so much detail and quality of a true artisan.

FAME:  As we both know art is a tough gig.  What are the challenges and obstacles that face artists today?

SYL:  I think the world has changed a lot through the years. A long time ago a child with talent would be sent to a specialty school and become an apprentice and come out an artisan; a true professional at their trait. Today there's a big gap in the system and turning a profit matters more than supplying a good quality of art. I think as a Traditional Oriental Watercolour artist, one of the biggest difficulties I face is that the market has been saturated with cheaply produced art sold to make a profit that the general public has become unknowledgeable of how to tell a good piece of Oriental art between a bad one. The second biggest difficulty is simply learning how to survive as an independent artist; finding support for the arts.

FAME:  What is your message to all aspiring artists out there today?

SYL:  The world would not be as beautiful as it is today without the artists of tomorrow trying to capture it. Artisans have existed for hundreds of years and we are the closest things to dream makers: having the ability to envision an idea and make it come into reality.

FAME:  Well said.  Ok, what do you have planned for the near future?

SYL:  I really don't know what I have for the near future. I've thought of many things.  Writing and illustration children's books, starting an art project with my friends which will involve traveling around British Columbia and creating new pieces and working towards the next art show, going back to school and perhaps pursue a career in art therapy, or maybe teaching art. The truth is even though I can imagine me doing all of these things, I can't really solidify any plans for the near future because my eyes are focused on the First Show - 'Release the Butterflies'.


'Release The Butterflies' will be held on July 13, 2013 at The Orpheum Annex in Vancouver, BC.  Below is the promo video. 

The National - Trouble Will Find Me

By Will Shung

The Brooklyn-based band (by way of Cincinnati) is back with their sixth full length studio album.  Their last offering, High Violet, enjoyed great critical acclaim and was undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2009.  And just when you thought The National's sound couldn't get any darker or melancholic, it does.  Trouble Will Find Me delves deeper into the underbelly of love and loss, but each song seems to have a sense of "coming out stronger".  The words and baritone voice of frontman Matt Berninger cover this album with a depth and emotion that can only be described now as "The National sound"; seemingly creating a sub-genre within indie music all on it's own.  Although we're only half way through 2013, Trouble Will Find Me is deserving of being one of the best albums of the year.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito

By Will Shung

The ever prevalent undertone of "emo rock" is laced in this Mosquito - the fourth studio album from New York city's Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  Don't get us wrong, however; this is hardly vintage Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but it's still very "them" in a fresh new take.  It really is hard to believe that Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been around for more than thirteen years, now (initially formed in 2000).  Despite only releasing four albums during that time, it's good to see that they didn't fall into the "too commercial for their own good" label such as bands like Paramore or One Republic.  Many of the songs from Mosquito still retain a certain level of grandiose romance like "Maps" from their debut album Fever To Tell, and, overall, still sound very small-time indie...which is a good thing.  Mosquito is definitely a Top 10 consideration so far in this still young 2013.

The Atmos Hermès Clock

By Will Shung

The Atmos clock is no new invention.  The original dates back to 1928 and, in the time between, has become one of the most famous desk clocks in the world.  The Atmos clock does not require a battery, electric current, or even winding; it runs solely on atmospheric changes in temperature that expands a mixture of gases within a capsule that is connected to a mainspring that winds the mechanism of the clock.  If you didn't understand any of that, we don't blame you.  You can find out more about the mechanical details of the piece at Professional Watches. 

What we're really excited about is the awesome collaboration between Hermès, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and French glass-blowing specialists Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis.  An interesting piece of history is that Jaeger-LeCoultre used to provide the movements for Hermès timepieces back before Hermès knew how to make their own.  That collaboration ended in the 1970's once Hermès acquired the know-how.  But now, they have once again joined forces to create this pure object of marvel.  Together, they have created a truly one-of-a-kind piece that reinvents itself as an instant classic.  The clock possesses just the right amount of modernity mixed with a touch of art deco detailing.  The casing of the clock, done in painstaking detail by Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis, is reminiscent of a finely cut jewel.  This clock is not just some special edition thing created by a few big-name companies, it's a passionate collaboration between companies that do what they do best, and yielded a true masterpiece.  And at a price tag of $39,000 USD and a limited quantity of 176, only a select few will have the privilege of owning one of these extraordinary pieces.  

The Return of Justin Timberlake

By Will Shung

If you ask anybody if they've ever heard of Justin Timberlake, their answer would likely be, "yes!".  But when you ask them "who is he?" or "what does he do?", depending on which generation the person being asked is a part of, the answers may vary.

If you grew up in the 90's, he was the lead singer of the hugely successful boy band, NSYNC.  If you only began to follow him in the early 2000's then you would have known him as the dashing young artist who seamlessly blended hip-hop, with R&B, and pop in his first two solo albums, Justified and FutureSex/LoveSounds.  Oh, and, of course, he was also the Punk'd bitch.  And if you've only been following him for the last six years or so, you would have known him as a marginal actor, a wannabe fashion designer, a careless risk-taker, and a less-than average golfer at best.

Truth is, Timberlake has done nearly everything that has to do with everything within the past eleven years or so, since leaving NSYNC, and doing it his own way.  We can't say he's done everything right, but we can't say he's failed miserably either.  Despite the mediocre batting average, however, he has managed to remain well in the public eye; just relevant enough at all times to either push a fragrance line (Givenchy), make potential investors take notice in hopes of reviving a half-dead social network (MySpace), or garner enough interest to entice movie-goers to pay full admission to go see half-ass movies (The Love Guru, Bad Teacher, In Time, and the list goes on) that barely made their production costs back.  Of course, at the same token, he has experienced great success as well.  He and his childhood best friend, Trace Ayala, started a denim line in 2005 which has not only lasted until today, but has amazingly expanded into a full-blown clothing line in William Rast.  For every movie bust has been an acclaimed hit in blockbusters such as Shrek The Third, Friends With Benefits, and The Social Network.  And who can forget Dick In A Box; the hugely popular SNL skit which he did for...ummm...kicks I guess.  At the end of the day, one cannot blame Timberlake for taking chances.  Although, there seems to be one thing he does that he seemingly can never go wrong with: music.

Anybody remember Like I Love You; his first ever single as a solo artist from the album Justified that made all of us pause and collectively ask the question, "that's Justin Timberlake?".  How about his follow up with the dark track (that was accompanied by an even creepier music video) Cry Me A River which was loosely based on his break-up with Britney Spears.  What about the song What Goes Around Comes Around from FutureSex/LoveSounds with the music video that featured Scarlett Johansson and was practically a mini movie (clocking in at almost 10 minutes).  These were all huge hits and exhibited the best of his talents.  And then, one day, after all of that, he went to Hollywood and decided to make movies.  He went and seriously pursued golf and even began appearing in shows on the Golf Channel.  Oh, and he got married to some girl named Jessica Biel, too.  Moving on...  

It's been nearly seven years since his last album FutureSex/LoveSounds flooded the airwaves and made  women's panties drop and guys go buy themselves slim-fitting Gucci suits.  In the time between he's kept himself busy enough on the music side, but serving merely as a featured artist on a couple of high profiled singles such as 4 Minutes with Madonna and Dead And Gone with rapper T.I..  And then he went and made more movies.

With all due respect to Mr. Timberlake's endeavors in acting and comedy, anybody who's ever heard his music, seen one of his music videos, or been to one of his concerts knows that music is where he belongs.  There is no denying, then, that his forthcoming studio album, The 20/20 Experience, is much anticipated, and, given his track record, is expected to be another hit.   The first single off the album, Suit & Tie, features perhaps one of the greatest rappers of all-time, Jay-Z, spitting rhymes on the bridge, and if his performance at the Grammys (his official return to the stage in four years) did not convince you that he still has it, then nothing will.  Clad in a perfectly tailored Tom Ford tuxedo, he performed his hit single with Jay-Z literally coming out of his front row seat next to Beyonce to do his part.  It was definitely a special moment for Timberlake, the Grammys, and the music industry in general. 

The 20/20 Experience is set to drop on March 19.  You can pre-order now on iTunes.  And while you're there, check out the one other song that's available for download before the actual album drops called Mirrors - a slower, deeper track, that's lengthy and is an opus on in itself.  The 20/20 Experience is expected to be one of the biggest releases this year, but that's no surprise.