Scene from the film "O Lucky man!" (Lindsay Anderson,1973)

This is the scene that inspired my O Lucky Man! series of cut-outs. 

O Lucky Man!, LE Gallery, November 2010 (Part 5)

Biathlon, hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 19x25 inches, 2010
(I made this piece while watching the biathlon during the Olympics. This piece was a tribute to the recent death of Jay Reatard, combined with the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe, as both were targets in a frigid world.)

Unknown Uncle, hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 19x25 inches, 2009
(This piece is based on a photograph from my grandfather's photo album. It is a family portrait with my grandparents, my father, my aunt, and two uncles. I never met my youngest uncle, pictured here as a laughing pre-teen, as he was randomly stabbed in his youth and died in my father's arms.)

O Lucky Man!, LE Gallery, November 2010 (Part 4 - Colour)

(c)lovers, hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 19 x 19 inches, 2010

Knock, Knock, hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 19 x 25 inches, 2010

O Lucky Man!, LE Gallery, November 2010 (Part 3 - Classical references)

Memento Mori, hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 19x19 inches, 2010

I gathered the props and took a photo of the set-up, then transformed it into a cut-out. It's my homage to Dutch still life.

Big Buddha, hand-cut paper, 4 layers, 48x19 inches (2 panels, each panel 24x19 inches, 2010)

O Lucky Man!, LE Gallery, November 2010 (Part 2 - Swirly Girlies)

Swirly Girlies (NOW) and Swirly Girlies (EYE), cut-out with newspaper, each piece 11x14 inches, 2010 

These are two of four pieces I had in this style in the exhibition. They were hung back to back and suspended from the ceiling in front of the "Terracotta Army" and between "Girl" and "$50." The warriors represent power and strength, but here this power and strength is being tested by the ladies. The swirls imply that the warriors are being hypnotized/seduced. I wanted to express that characteristics which we admire/envy, that we consider are lucky, are not always as they appear. Even the strong have their weaknesses.The swirls in this piece also make reference to a target and associates with "Girl" – will she one day become one of the swirly girlies? I also purposefully placed "$50" next to these pieces to show this connection. However, with the swirl acting both as a hypnotic device and as a target, I further wanted to point out the power struggle between the swirly girlies and the terracotta army.

O Lucky Man!, LE Gallery, November 2010 (Part 1)

Artist Statement (excerpt):

Born lucky, or creating your own luck.

Lucky charms. Lucky in love. Lucky to be wealthy. Lucky to be alive.

The swirling curves of tapering circles draw you in, leading your eyes to a hypnotic focal point. A young girl vacantly stands out from a crowd. A horse runs swiftly. A woman finds $50 on the ground – or is she being given this sum from an unknown source? The Terracotta Army bravely protected the mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin, but now stare blankly ahead. An empty bed duels with an injured llama, taking cue from a scene from the film O Lucky Man! in which this series was inspired from.

White shining/ Silver studs (with their nose in flames), hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 25x19 inches, 2010 

The title is a tribute to Patti Smith. I love her haunting voice.

Bed (1:21:53), hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 25x19 inches, 2009

The inspiration for this piece and series can be viewed at 1:21:53 of the Malcolm McDowell film O Lucky Man!. I was utterly petrified the first time I saw it.

Terracotta Army, hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 48x25 inches (3 panels, each panel 16x25 inches), 2010 

$50, hand-cut paper, 4 layers, 25x38 inches (2 panels, each panel 25x19 inches), 2010

Girl, hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 25x19 inches, 2009

I took this photograph in Beijing. I'll provide a more detailed description later when I upload more images from the show, as multiple pieces work together to tell a story.

Happy Friday the 13th

Horseshoe newspaper cut-out

I did this newspaper cut-out yesterday for Friday the 13th. 

Remains to be Seen, Lennox Contemporary Gallery, 2009

All three pieces: Untitled, hand-cut paper, 3 layers, 40x15 inches, 2009

I was commissioned to make these three pieces by The International Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies concerning a show on genocide. Befriended some great artists after doing this show. The exhibition and institute was supported by Atom Egoyan and Arsinee Khanjian. I eventually sold all three pieces to the wife of the president of the institute. That was nice!

Curriculum Vitae

Can't figure out how to add my CV on the side as a PDF pop-up, so I guess I'll just post it for now.

EDUCATION

B.F.A. Photographic Studies, Ryerson University

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

August 2013: At Dusk, Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, ON (two person show)
November 2010: O Lucky Man!, LE Gallery, Toronto, ON

May 2005: New Cut-outs, SAN, Toronto, ON

September 2004: Hollywood Beauty Secrets, Ryerson Gallery, Toronto, ON

September 2004: Hollywood Beauty Secrets, Cocktail Molotov, Toronto, ON (sculptural installation)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2016
January: En Route, presented by Scarborough Arts, Papermill Gallery, Todmorden Mills Heritage Site, ON

2015
January: VAM 37th Annual Juried Show of Fine Arts, Art Gallery of Mississauga, Mississauga, ON

2014
May: 11th Toronto Timeraiser, Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, ON
February: Collective Arts Brewing Series Two Launch, Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, ON

2013
Sept/Oct: Kanada, Gallery 44 Vitrines, Toronto, ON (In conjunction with Holocaust Education Week and Nuit Blanche)
March: 10th Toronto Timeraiser, Artscape Wychwood Barns, Toronto, ON

2012

August: Put a Bird on It!, Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, ON
July: Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON
January: Black Water Art, White Water Gallery, North Bay, ON

2011

July: Fingerprint Variations, The Beaver, Toronto, ON

June: Nuit Blanche Devereaux II, site-specific paper and video installation, Toronto, ON

March/April: Wat Blijft Komt Nooit Terug, BaZtille Ateliers, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands

February: SPHINX, Art Auction and Fundraiser, The Beaver, Toronto, ON

2010

April:Postcard Project, presented by Lebanon Art Factory, The Refuge Gallery Space, Lebanon, Pennsylvania

2009

August: Young Canada Presents: Who’s Got the Papers?, LE Gallery, Toronto, ON

May/June: Remains to be Seen, commissioned by The International Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies, curated by Rhonda Corvese, Lennox Contemporary Gallery, Toronto, ON

May: Nuit Blanche Devereaux, site-specific melting projection/installation, Tor., ON

April: JK LOL, Studio Nine Gallery, Toronto, ON

Mar./April: Art Needs, Scarborough Arts Council Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Hin-Shiu Hung Art Gallery, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, Toronto, ON

February: LE Cinq, LE Gallery, Toronto, ON

January: 27 Drawers, Roberts Street Social Centre, Halifax, NS

2008

November: Photorama, Gallery TPW, Toronto, ON

July: Shades of White, Mindful Movement Centre, Toronto, ON

May/June: Skull and Bones Show, Smith Gallery, Toronto, ON

May/June: Pedal Power, Hotshot Gallery, Toronto, ON

May: The Politics of Puberty, Whippersnapper Gallery, Toronto, ON

March: MUSE 08 Carnivale, Dominion Club, Toronto, ON

February: Oh Eight!, LE Gallery, Toronto, ON

Jan./Feb: Work’n It, Headbones Gallery, Toronto, ON

2007

December: The Very GOOD Show, IndexG Gallery, Toronto, ON

December: Very Merry Non-Xmaz Show, Tranzac, Toronto, ON

October: Graffiti Research Lab’s Laser Tag, curated by Camilla Singh for Nuit Blanche, Toronto, ON

Sept/Oct: In Your Face: The People’s Portrait Project, Art Gallery of Ontario, Tor., ON

August/Sept: Square Foot 2007, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON

July: Fleeting Face, A Space Gallery, Toronto, ON

May: Love Transcending Boundaries, 5th Annual Juried Exhibition, presented by Lonsdale Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON

April: Toronto Timeraiser 2007, The Berkeley Church, Toronto, ON

2006

December: Foolsluck, Gladstone Ballroom, Toronto, ON

June: Blood, Sweat & Tears, SPIN Gallery, Toronto, ON

2004

March: Canadian Content, Case Studies, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON

2002

May: Thursdays, Flux Factory, New York, NY

2001

December: Eccentricity, The L, New York, NY

2000

May: Great Fakes, Gallery 44 (Contact event), Toronto, ON

1999

July: Fantasy Fashion Show, Gallery 1313, Toronto, ON

ARTIST RESIDENCIES

March 2015
Artscape Gibraltar Point, Toronto Island, Toronto, ON

Janury 2011

Ateliers BaZtille (in association with the DCR), Zoetermeer/The Hague, The Netherlands

AWARDS

2016
Scarborough Arts, En Route: Juror's Choice

2012
Ontario Arts Council, Emerging Artist Grant

2009

Ontario Arts Council, Emerging Artist Grant

Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant

2008

MUSE 08 Carnivale, Best in Category

MUSE 08 Carnivale, Honourable Mention

ARTIST TALKS

October 2013       Suspending Frames of War, Panel Discussion, Gallery 44, Toronto, ON

August 2013         At Dusk, Artist Talk, Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, ON

CATALOGUES/PUBLICATIONS

2016
Scarborough Arts: Big Art Book. Issue 4: En Route. Exhibition Catalogue. January 13 - 24, 2016. Papermill Gallery, Todmorden Mills Heritage Site, ON

2014  
Peopled by the Unknown/Kanada. Exhibition Catalogue. 13 September - 12 October 2013. Gallery 44, Toronto, ON

2008  
Work’n It: Joyce Lau. Artist Catalogue.10 January - 14 February 2008. Headbones Gallery. Toronto, ON. Rich Fog Micro Publishing

2006 
“Top 500 Artists Websites.” (2006, November/December). NY Arts Magazine. Vol. 11, 147.

2003 
“Know Your Rights,” Function “E avanti lui tremava tutta Roma,” Portfolio V. Ryerson University

2001 
“Zygor’s Last Dance” (digitally animated promotional), Space Network

1997 
Lau, Joyce. “Asians in the Media,” Toronto Star

PRESS

2015 

Style at Home Magazine, February 2015 (details to follow)

2014

Thibault, Ryan. (2014, April 21). "Featured Visual Artist: Joyce Lau." Collective Arts: Art + Brewing, http://collectiveartsbrewing.com/joyce-lau-feature

2013       

Hendrickson, Julia. (2013, September 16). "Gallery 44 Re-Opening/Peopled by the Unknown." Artoronto.ca, http://www.artoronto.ca/?p=20762         

2012 
Mimila, David. (2012, October 4). "Illustration: Joyce Lau." meaning-full, http://meaning-full.com/art/illustration-joyce-lau.

2010

Raghunath, Narendra. (2010, November 9). "Aesthetica November Newsletter." Art Musings, http://narendraraghunath.blogspot.com/2010/11/fwd-aesthetica-november- newsletter.html.

Schechter, Fran. (2010, November 7). “Scraps and News From Nowhere: Now’s daily slide show of this week’s must-see art.” NOW Magazine, http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/art/story.cfm?content=177729.

2009

CTV.ca News Staff. (2009, June 5). “Atom Egoyan explores genocide in new art exhibit.” Canada AM and CTV News, www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090605/atom_egoyan_050609/20090605.

2007

“Art After Dark: Zone C Highlights.” (2007, September 20-26). NOW Magazine, 74.

“At the Galleries.” (2007, July 21). Toronto Star, E6.

Schechter, Fran. (2007, July 12-18). “Ethnicity’s Fleeting Face.” NOW Magazine, 81.

2006

Tips & Picks. (2006, August 8). www.nyartsmagazine.com

Ho, Janet L. (2006, July 13). "Artist’s Corner: Joyce Lau." www.stompinggrapes.ca

2004

Goddard, Peter. (2004, September 2). “Beauty and the beast a powerful calling card.” Toronto Star, G7.

Jezovit, Andrea. (2004, September 15). “Hollywood Beauty Secrets Revealed.” The Eyeopener, 15. p15)

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

2011-Present: Board of Directors, Treasurer, A Space Gallery, Toronto, ON

2007/2008: Gallery Assistant, Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation, Toronto, ON

2003/2004: Exhibition Co-ordinator, Ryerson Gallery, Toronto, ON

2001/2002: Assistant Co-ordinator, Flux Factory (Non-profit Arts Organization), New York, NY

2001/2002: Studio Assistant, Doug and Mike Starn Studio, New York, NY