The Show

Meet the Artists

Your Portraits

“Design thinking” has propelled Teena Han into a diverse life. Just like her paintings, Teena Han, is bold and refreshing. Read more and discover her motivation and future plans.

SP: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in art.

TH: I think I inherited my father’s passion for art. For as long as I can remember, I always loved drawing. But I also gave perms (poor sisters), baked cakes and knit baby blankets at a very young age so I think I was simply born curious, fearless and adventurous! My father painted as a hobby but neither of my parents encouraged my sisters and I to pursue a career in the arts. They did; however, instill in us a love for learning and an insatiable appetite for beauty, discovery and appreciation.

SP: Do you feel taking both fashion and business school has shaped you?

TH: I think we are truly a sum of all of our experiences! These, along with our emotions and relationships, shape our values, our attitudes and our “joie de vivre”.

SP: Where do you see yourself in the future?

TH: I will continue to work in the corporate sector where I have finally found a much-desired worklife balance! I feel so fortunate to have a stimulating job that also allows me some time to paint and time with my family.

For now, my goal is to eventually have enough paintings to be able to exhibit one day! Down the road, I would love to collaborate with diverse female visual artists across Canada in order to create a massive, cohesive piece of artwork (i.e., for Sick Kids Hospital?) that reflects our individual styles but more importantly, inspires hope.

SP: You are painting pictures for a children's book, how did you get into painting for books?

TH: This is my first attempt. It stemmed from the desire to give my kids something bright, vibrant and playful – to mirror and nurture their optimism and wonder.

SP: Are you still involved in the fashion industry?

TH: It depends on how you define “involved” – I consider myself a “heavy supporter!”

SP: You are very motivated, where does this motivation come from?

TH: My immigrant parents who taught us to take nothing for granted and to appreciate everything in life.

SP: Working in the business sector, do you find that you use your art side at all?

TH: I am a true believer in “design thinking” (see Roger Martin’s books). My artistic background has shaped the way I see the world and although I don’t utilize my “artistic” skills at work, I think my approach to problem solving, idea generation and analysis combines a factual and intuitive rationale.

SP: Any favourite quotes?

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Ralph Emerson

“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.” - Henry David

Artist Stats

Teena Han was born in Edmonton, Alberta. She began her studies at the University of Toronto, and graduated from Ryerson’s School of Fashion. Crafted with multiple layers of paint over extended period of time to create depth, her vibrant and bold portraits are deliberately colourful and more representational than expressionist.