In every aspect of my life, I strive to put beauty and love at the centre. My paintings are an extension of all the things that bring me joy and help me to 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. Painting is an intuitive and spiritual realm for me. It is an opportunity to practice trust and to allow for things to unfold in a way that is both story telling and spontaneous. While painting, I employ embodiment movement practices, writing, and meditations, to move me and to engage with playfulness. I work primarily with acrylic paint, oil and chalk pastels, and ink on canvas, wood, and paper. Acrylic paint with its vivacious colour and fast drying time, offers the ability to work with multi layers and fast bold moves. Oil pastels provide a sensual texture and opportunities for transformation. Chalk can wash away leaving only traces and treasures of itself. |
Chantey gratefully lives, and makes art in Quw’utsun’ mustimuhw Territory. She is a colour addict, a stargazer, a plant lover, a meal maker, a conscious dancer, and is always on the lookout for delight. Her paintings are an earnest celebration of life. As a first generation Canadian of Indian and Middle Eastern descent, Chantey's art strikes the viewer through a bold use of colour, shape, and contrast. She is often steeped in poetry, mythology, rhythm, ritual, and the fables of faraway places. This ignites and compels her towards all that is deeply feminine and life-giving. Her process has abstract beginnings, which then gives way to recognizable forms themed on women, nature, and patterns. The result is a juxtaposition of visual playfulness, and serious yet heartfelt content. Chantey has hosted ten private shows over the last 20 years, and adorned the walls of many local businesses. Gallery exhibits include, the Ou Gallery and Excellent Frameworks Gallery in British Columbia, and Adelante Art gallery in Arizona. She has staged two shows as major fundraising events for Ethiopian charities in Vancouver BC and Los Angeles California. Chantey was also a participating artist at the inaugural International Art Symposium in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia which concluded with a group show with 15 artists from around the world. |