Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Chap.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I never considered myself artistic until 3 years ago. My first form of art was photography. When I was in college, I was on my university’s women’s golf team. Being on the team allowed me to travel to various parts of the United States and I was seeing a lot of different landscapes and lifestyles that intrigued me. So, I began capturing them with my phone and posting them on Instagram. People enjoyed seeing my journeys and I enjoyed sharing them with others.
The real pivotal moment was when I came into contact with a San Diego photographer named Mark Andrew. I came across his Instagram and although as a shy person being unlikely to reach out to a stranger, I felt compelled to send him a message about how I admired his photography and that I wanted to learn from him. He replied saying he would love to. Unfortunately, before this ever got to happen, he passed away from a tragic accident.
Even though I never got to meet Mark Andrew, after his passing, I began to meet the people he surrounded himself with. I found myself immersed in San Diego’s growing underground art scene and found inspiration in these driven individuals who were all diverse artists. Through them, I began to dive into music and djing, doing videography, and now into my latest loves, multimedia installation art.
Please tell us about your art.
The art I make reflects whatever I’m intrigued in mixed with the emotions I’m feeling at that moment time. I use whatever media I feel most comfortable expressing whatever I need to express or will try to learn how to do something if I feel that it would express my vision and emotions better. Some times. that means blending music and lyrics can convey what I’m feeling best and make a mix. Other times, it will be through a short experimental video.
My mission in life is to help people realize they are so much more than they think they are. Through doing art, I’ve learned to see myself in such a way because once the art is created, I’m viewing this externalized piece of me that I can understand a little better than when it was just a thought or feeling floating around in my system.
If my art speaks to other people, then I’m glad that they have something they can relate to. I hope that they feel connected to me when they see my art and are able to build a relationship with me, even if we never meet in person.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
The best advice I have right now would be for that person to define what a successful and fulfilled life really means to them. They need to really come to terms with the fact that doing what you love as your job might not give you the easiest and quickest form of monetary income, but if you’re leveling up your skills along the way, whether you are focused on art full time or balancing it between other responsibilities, you will be able to offer more to the world than others.
Doing freelance isn’t always the best way to live life as an artist. I once read that putting all the pressure on your art by making it the only way to support your lifestyle can turn art from a liberating expression to a suffocating burden. Always take time to reflect and understand your needs and understand what you need to do to live the life you want.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The best place that people can view my work right now is on Instagram. I like using Instagram because it’s a snippet of who I am along with snippets of my work and they’re able to see the kind of people I interact with and what my lifestyle overall is like. I always welcome people to message me on Instagram if they want to work with me or just want some conversation!
If people want to support my work, they can contact me through Instagram or email me if they’d like to hire me for a project, if they want to purchase prints, or book me for a DJ gig.
Contact Info:
- Email: viichap@gmail.com
- Instagram: cest.la.vii
Image Credit:
Mikey Avila, Ryan Abary
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