As we ride our second wave of this global pandemic together, being conscious of our own intentions, choices and actions will help us get through this wave while keeping our mental and emotional states in check. Staying active, breathing in fresh air and getting outdoors (rather than indoors) through these next months while abiding by safety precautions of masking wearing, physical distancing and hand-washing is a fine art of balance that will contribute to both our mental and physical health.
For this reason, I will be visiting Weird n’ Wacky local outdoor (covered) play spaces—some that you would have never imagined as a continuation from my pumpkin patch visits to give an option to local parents and act as a reminder for those afar.
First up: Bloom Inward II, a mural.
In this time of social isolation apart—we are still able to “bloom inwards” together… A kaleidoscopic mural has just been completed and revealed by the Vancouver Mural Festival Located at 160 West Cordova Street in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood.
Like caffeine for the eyes, this 2,700 sq. ft.mural was created by local Vancouver artist Priscilla Yu. Titled Bloom Inward II, it’s an ode to the city’s challenges during this global pandemic.
The meaning behind Bloom Inward II is that there is still growth potential and opportunities from within in isolation—given the chance of the “close examination of the avoided thoughts and aspects within a mental space.”
I had a chance to connect with the artist, Priscilla Yu regarding her latest piece, and this is what she had to share about it:
The term Bloom Inward is a clever juxtaposition between the two concepts, in short what is the meaning behind it for you?
Priscilla Yu: “In looking inward, there is growth that comes through close
examination of the avoided thoughts and aspects within a mental space.”
What was your inspiration when planning this latest piece?
Priscilla Yu: “As with a lot of my work, this mural is somewhat of a visual representation of a personal feeling. During the beginning of the pandemic, spending so much time at home in isolation, I had a lot of time to sort through the backlog of my mind.
With few distractions, I got to see things that I needed to work on personally and began a process of sticking with the feelings and thoughts. Moving through them and working on myself made me think of the words, ‘Bloom Inward’. It reminded me of my strength and resilience through getting to the place that I’m currently at, and I think can be applied to a larger scale to everyone else going through moments of hard personal work.
The imagery followed the text (something kind of new for me) and was also inspired by some of the work that I did last year (re: her painting titled ‘Abundance’).”
How do you imagine the public reacting/interpreting to your piece?
Priscilla Yu: “I think that most people will see it as a colourful photo opp, which is
awesome and very fun! I do hope that people find encouragement if they’re feeling alone or get reminded to spend time with oneself.”
MAIN ATTRACTIONS & LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Little kids and adults will enjoy this visual burst of colour—a mood booster and caffeine for the eyes!
Even in solitude during the pandemic we can all use this time to grow internally and bloom inwards.
SPECIAL NOTES
The original Bloom Inward was a 4-panel mural on a boarded-up business located at 595 Howe Street and has since been taken down. It is now kept as a legacy mural for Vancouver Mural Festival in support by the Downtown BIA’s #MakeArtWhileApart collection.
There is a fairly sizable benched sitting area under trees at the site for your casual viewing pleasure. A nice place to appreciate the artwork in a safe setting away from vehicles.
PARKING
Metered parking in the area would be best
TIME SPENT AT SITE
5-10 mins
HOW TO PLAN YOUR VISIT
Bloom Inward II mural (Gastown Vancouver)
www.priscillayu.ca
@priscillayuart
@vanmuralfest
LOCATION
160 West Cordova Street (it’s a quiet alleyway, on the east side of building)
*next to the main entrance of The GPO Bar + Kitchen restaurant
