Building bridges in sharing what it means to be human. A lofty goal for any organization, but even more challenging when you’re working with creative people, who feel alienated in their new country of residence.
This is where Calgary’s ICAI (Immigrant Council for Art Innovation) comes in. A body designed to smooth the transition for artist’s, through mentorship, building connections and offering a network of like-minded people.
CKUA has been profiling ICAI’s Artist of the Month, and for February graphic artist and illustrator Juan “Joey” Qi is that person.
Formally a resident of China, now living in Calgary, Joey talks to Tony King about the challenges of making a radical transition in location and the intangible joy found in creating illustrations that tell stories.