Chairman Ting highlights iconic Vancouverites in new mural

Check it out now at 644 Seymour St

Carson Ting, or Chairman Ting is a local artist whose simple and distinct visual style has been seen all over our city. A recent piece done in partnership with Downtown Vancouver highlights iconic Vancouver/BC personalities and can be seen at 644 Seymour St. The Chairman took some time to talk about this and the many other projects he has on the go and how his visual style is becoming an integral part of our city’s landscape.

People featured in the mural are: Ashley Ander, RIDE Cycle Club, Joe Fortes, Arthur Erickson, Canuck the Crow, Bryan Adams, Lon LaClaire, longtime City of Vancouver engineer, Kendall Gender, Seth Rogan, Sarah McLachlan, Jeff Martin, creator Vancity Original® Brand, Pamela Anderson, Nardwuar, Nelly Furtado, Christine Sinclair, Ryan Reynolds, Rick Hansen, Michael Bublé, Charles Gauthier, former president & CEO of the DVBIA 

Can you tell us about yourself, how did you get into art and murals?

I was born and raised in Toronto. Went to OCAD and graduated with a bachelor of design degree and plunged straight into the world of advertising art direction working on brands like Sony, Goodyear, Nike Jordan, Lexus and more. I moved out to Vancouver in 2007 to work for my then dream agency, Rethink. After cutting my teeth in advertising for a few years here I decided to start my own studio, parting ways with advertising allowed me to pursue more artistic endeavours through illustration, murals, art installations and more. I got into murals by chance when I decided to paint my apartment wall one weekend for fun. I posted the video online when social media had just emerged and I received a lot of positive feedback and from then on, I just kept getting commissions.

I recall you painted a mural fest mural Nelson & Nicola years ago of local legend Joe Fortes. What was your first mural and how has your style and approach changed over the years?

Yes, the Nelson & Nicola mural is close to my heart as it’s literally just around the corner from my studio. My first mural was in my apartment. I painted it with a brush and acrylic paint and was done without a plan through just improvisation. Now, my murals have become much more complex as the scale of my pieces have significantly increased, and my methods have evolved to adapt accordingly. Starting out using brushes, I quickly transitioned into using spray paint for speed and efficiency. Since my first mural, I also introduced printed murals as part of my practice. This allows me to work on multiple projects around the world at the same time and is now being taught in my mural illustration class at Capilano University as I teach part-time, only once a year.

Your most current mural highlights famous people from Vancouver like Nardwuar and Pamela Anderson, how did you get involved in that project and what does it mean to you to paint something that feels as iconic as that in your own style?

This project came to me through Downtown Van. Through the success of the first mural project with Downtown Van that went up on the former Nordstrom building that wraps from Georgia Street and along Granville to Robson Street, this current mural is essentially a continuation of it. I am just very grateful for this opportunity to contribute my art to this city.

You have a distinct visual language that’s been seen all over the city from Whitecap posters to the former Nordstroms, to a Gondola at Grouse Mountain. How does it feel to have your visual style all over the city?

I never take anything for granted so I am constantly counting my blessings and eternally grateful for everything in my life. I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love doing for a living and supporting my family through my work.

Anything you’re working on that you’d like to plug?

I’ve been working on a permanent 3D art sculpture installation for the district of North Vancouver for the past 4 years and it’s finally complete! The opening ceremony is sometime in late November. And last by not least, I’ve been working on an animated series pitch with a small team based on my I.P. called Billion Buns. It’s been in development for 2 years now.