About

Van Han, Artist

Van Han, Artist

Biography

For me, art is woven into the rhythm of my life. People— their laughter, their losses, their quiet breaths, even their aging wrinkles— are the pulse behind every stroke. I listen to their unspoken stories, then echo them back in colour and line, sharing the feeling with them and with anyone who looks.

On my canvas, the hard edges of reality slip into a dream-realm. The human condition stretches, distorts, and dissolves until only the essentials linger: sympathy, wonder, a gentle confusion at the mystery of being. Hints of pity drift through shifting shapes; abstraction grows where clear answers fade. Those mysteries stay half-hidden, caught between what the eyes can see and what the heart still seeks.

So the real story is never finished. It waits— restless and curious— just behind the paint, hoping one day to step out from the canvas and meet you face-to-face.

Education

  • Visual Art / Major in Painting - Alberta University of Art, Calgary, AB (1983-1987)
  • Computer Graphics Certificate - Vancouver Community College, Vancouver, B.C. (1997-1999)
  • Photography - Alberta University of Art, Calgary, AB (1984-1985)
  • Art Instructor (Adult Education) Workshop - The Calgary Board of Education (1990)

Professional Experience

  • Graphic Designer / Photography / Sign Graphics - Self Employment (2007-Present)
  • Art Instructor for Adult Education Classes - Surrey Park and Recreation Commission, Surrey, B.C. (1995-1996)
  • Graphic Designer - Sweda Corporation, Los Angeles, CA, USA (1991-1992)
  • Art Instructor for Adult Education Classes - The Calgary Board of Education, Calgary, AB (1988-1990)
  • Art Designer Assistant - Tyrell Museum of Paleontology, Drumheller, AB (Summer 1986)

Exhibitions

Personal Shows

  • "Inner" - Devonian Gardens, Calgary AB (1986)
  • "Words Within" - Alberta University Art Hall, Calgary, AB (1986)
  • "A Sense of Feeling" - Alberta University Art Hall, Calgary, AB (1985)

Group Shows

  • "Oriental Express" - Alberta University of Art Gallery, Calgary AB (1989)
  • "Evening in Paris" - Alberta University Art Gallery, Calgary, AB (1988)
  • "Graduation Show" - Alberta University Art Gallery, Calgary, AB (1987)
  • "Wet Brush" - Alberta College of Art Hall, Calgary, AB (1987)

Awards & Honors

  • Certificate of Merit - Minister of Advanced Education, Calgary, AB (1986)
  • Art Prize - Binny and Smith Ltd. (1984)
  • Alberta Art Culture Study Grant - Edmonton, AB (1984)
  • Alberta Art Culture Study Grant - Edmonton, AB (1983)