Interview
Chantey Dayal
Chantey Dayal is a painter, a colour addict, a stargazer, a plant lover, a meal maker and a conscious dancer. She is always on the lookout for delight.
Chantey has exhibited her work in various galleries and participated in an International Art Symposium held in Ethiopia. In Vancouver, Chantey organized two major fundraising events for Ethiopian charities.
Chantey’s paintings come from dreams, mythologies and mystic writings, and they seek to celebrate our common humanity.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“For as long as I can remember, painting and colouring have been my favourite things to do. My journey started when I travelled to India as an eight-year-old to meet my father's extended family for the first time. I stood on a large veranda, my hand taken up by a distant cousin. He read my fingerprints and exclaimed, ‘You're going to be an artist!’ An internal light ignited within me in that moment.
I went on to study set and costuming design for theatre, earning a Bachelors in Fine Art at York University in Toronto. My high school drama teacher was a huge influence in the direction I would take. She demonstrated with her entire being an unwavering belief in the importance of making art. She modeled for me what was possible, and helped me step into a path of fine arts. After completing my degree, I spent many years as a scenic artist, which furthered my love for painting. I began creating and selling my own works while working for theatre, ballet and various performance companies.”
What inspires you most?
“I experience inspiration all around me. What I smell, touch, taste, and hear, inspire me as much as the things I see. Time, and walks in nature no matter where I am, play a large role in my subject matter. Cooking is another passion of mine. The patterns, lines, and colours that reveal themselves in seeds, fruits and vegetables are a great wonder. I am also deeply inspired by the spiritual world, which I engage with through prayer, meditation, poetry and music.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I frequently work with themes that include womanhood, our interconnection with nature, as well as ancient folktales and stories from my cultures of origin. Ethiopia has become a heart-home for me over the last 9 years, and travelling by road through many parts of that country has deeply impacted my themes, subject matter, and palettes.
Underlying messages surround a need for more stillness, communication with and through our dream life, as well as with the sentient beings of trees, flowers, mountains and water bodies on earth. Death; the beauty in it, and the way in which it colours our lives is also an underlying message in so much of my work.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would describe my work as bold, life-giving, and of a spiritual nature. In every aspect of my life, I strive to put beauty and love at the centre.
My paintings are an extension of things that bring me joy, and help me face sorrows. They express themselves as a part of my personal healing, and they reflect what I experience in connection with the world around me, both tangible and otherwise.”
“I tend to work on several pieces at the same time, rotating through them. I then focus on them one at a time to bring them to completion. The sound of music or storytelling is always in the background. I sometimes photograph an unfinished piece to ‘see’ it in a different way, and to reveal what more to add, or what needs to be scaled back.”
Which artists influence you most?
“This question has endless answers. I grew up loving and admiring the work of so many widely-known artists such as Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and the Canadian artist Ted Harrison. All have had an influence on my work at different times. I also greatly admire, and am influenced by the work of Coco Jones of the Quw'utsun Valley, Adebayo Bolaji of London, and Tibebe Terffa from Ethiopia.
However, the artists that currently influence me the most are the contemporary artists that I have come to know in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Leikun Nahusenay, Zelalem Merga, Tamerat Siltan, and Biniam Afwerki, to name just a few of an ever-growing community of incredible artists. Their influence is not just in what they produce, but more importantly, the attitudes with which they approach their work as artists. And these are just the painters!”
What is your creative process like?
“Painting is an intuitive and spiritual realm for me. It is an opportunity to practice trust and allow for things to unfold in a way that is both storytelling and spontaneous. I first like to set the space and invite ‘helpers’ by burning beeswax, introducing music, and employing movement practices (free form dance), writing, and meditations to move me and to engage with playfulness.
I initially work fast and loose with leftover paint, then continue with layers of chalk pastels and, more recently, collage and/or ink. As the work begins to form through a revealing of shapes and spaces, more layers of paint and sometimes oil pastels are brought in. I enjoy incorporating repetitions in patterns or lines, bringing rhythm and ritual to the completion of the work.”
“I see the role of artists evolving more and more toward being keepers of ‘the old ways’ and holders of the stories. With technology and automation penetrating every aspect of our lives, artists are needed more than ever to ensure that we do not forget the ways of our ancestors.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Artists are an integral thread in the fabric of our humanity. I see the role of the artist as broad and multifaceted. Artists are truth-tellers. They speak for the voiceless, and they hold us all to account through inquiry and experimentation. At times, artists are another kind of scientist, working long hours in their labs, wondering about the possibilities, and exploring the world with all of their senses.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have had a number of gallery exhibitions, at the Ou Gallery and Excellent Frameworks Gallery in British Columbia, and Adelante Art Gallery in Arizona.
I have also:
Hosted ten private exhibits over the last 20 years.
Staged two shows as major fundraising events for Ethiopian charities in Vancouver BC and Los Angeles California.
Participated at an International Art Symposium held in Ethiopia in 2020. This was an inaugural event for the country, which included 16 artists from around the world. Alongside some of the most influential young artists in Ethiopia, as well as some of the most renowned and known artists from the country, we endeavored to learn about, and from each other. Our time together culminated in a large and beautiful exhibition of the works that were created, now featured at the National Museum in Addis Ababa. Being a part of this event was a huge honour, and an amazing experience of being in a creative space while experiencing the life and culture of this country that is so beloved to me.”
