HAVEN Field Tester: Canadian Craftsmanship

Name: Dan Climan

Profession: Artist

Location: Montreal, Québec, Canada

What drew you to painting?
When I was young, and I would go to museums, I always liked the way that really large paintings made me feel. Sculptures were exciting, but there was just something more relatable to the flat surface of the wall, especially the larger scales.

How did you develop your artistic style?
Developing your artistic style is really something that just comes naturally over time. After getting a degree in fine arts, I realized that the academic side was a little bit difficult for me. I had to explain what kind of art I wanted to make and why. After really building a practice over many years, I've been able to answer those questions, but it only came from really just working at it. And I think that my artistic style is deeply rooted in just focusing on things that I've been attracted to and diving in and staying true to that.

You also used to be a tattoo artist, does that influence your current work?
The steps between making a tattoo and the steps that I use to make a painting are definitely similar. A painting starts from an idea, and then I sketch it out. The sketch turns into a colour study, and then once the color study feels like it is worthy of becoming a painting, then I start projecting my image, and I start to mask out different shapes and fill them with colour, and then one builds next to the other. Similarly, with tattooing, there's a reference into a sketch that gets stencilled onto the skin the same way I would project onto the canvas. That precision in my paintings definitely has been informed by tattooing as well.

Name: Danny Smiles

Profession: Chef

Location: Montreal, Québec, Canada

What drew you to cooking?

Growing up, cooking was always a central part of my family life. Both of my grandmothers were incredible cooks and they passed down their love of cooking to me. Their passion for creating delicious dishes inspired me to pursue cooking as well. I love the creativity and joy that comes from cooking and sharing meals with others. It's a way for me to connect with my heritage and continue the tradition that was passed down to me from my grandmothers.

What does seasonality mean to you?

Prioritizing seasonality usually goes hand in hand with supporting local farmers and producers, as they tend to source their ingredients from nearby sources that are in season. This not only supports the local economy but also reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting food long distances. Incorporating seasonal ingredients into dishes allows me to showcase the best that each season has to offer and to create menus that change with the seasons. It allows me to inspire young cooks and really teach my thought process in a kitchen, and it encourages creativity in the kitchen, as I must constantly adapt to the changing availability of ingredients. Overall, seasonality is a key principle that guides me in creating delicious, fresh, and sustainable dishes.

Name: Alyssa Alikpala

Profession: Artist

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

What drew you to art & design?

Having originally started out in fashion design, I’d say the way of creatively expressing form and function on the body drew me in. I didn’t expect much earlier on that I’d eventually move towards art. Now, the exploration of materials and environments really drive my work. But it’s interesting to see how much my design background still informs my practice. There’s a lot of interplay – and even tension – between the two disciplines in my process. My design mind sometimes wants to lean towards problem solving and arriving at a more definitive outcome while my approach as an artist invites uncertainty and open endedness. I don’t think I’ll ever disentangle the two.

Do you have a particular process when approaching a new project?

It depends on the kind of project, but generally speaking I do tend to follow a similar process. I usually start with a pretty in depth ideation phase where I research concepts that may intersect with techniques and materials I’d like to explore. Then, as I start to experiment with the physical making, the direction may shift and new ideas start to emerge. That being said, the process is definitely not so linear. There’s a lot of jumping around between ideation, research, experimentation and so forth. For example, I might try something with a material that ends up changing a concept I had earlier on or informing an entirely new work. There’s a lot of feedback in the process.

Name: Jonah Yano
Profession: Musician
Location: Montreal, Québec, Canada

What drew you to making music?

At the beginning what drew me to music was just the sheer fun of it all. It felt so uncharted and exciting to set foot inside like a big field of tall grass you can't quite see above. Over the years there have been other draws towards music like career, collaboration, friendships etc. but I think that the unsatisfiable curiosity that music can entertain is what keeps me going!

How did you develop your musical style?

I think the only way I can honestly explain this is in retrospect. I think my personal style is a compound of all the great artists I've listened to and been inspired by over the years through collaboration or distant appreciation. I guess there is and was no plan to develop a musical style - my artistic interests and impulses have more or less led me into whatever it is I sound like now. It's the forever unfinished product!