Artist
Illustrator / Author
BFA Rhode Island School of Design
Claire Lordon earned a BFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is an illustrator and/or author of eight books for children. She also is an illustrator and designer creating comics, surface designs, murals, maps, and greeting cards for a number of companies. Claire’s work is influenced by her passion for storytelling and playful, vibrant designs.
Video Artist
Sol Yoon is a video artist who completed a Bachelor's degree in Multimedia Video Art from Korea National University of Arts. Sol worked in commercial video production, creating artistic and persuasive videos. With over three years of experience as an art instructor in Korea, Sol now focuses on helping students build a strong foundation in art and develop their portfolios using a variety of art materials.
Artist
Olesia Metın, an artist with a rich Ukrainian and Turkish intercultural background. Her deep passion for art led her to fully immerse herself in the creative world, where she has spent years refining her skills and collaborating in the studios of renowned painters. With a decade of experience, Olesia now teaches the principles of painting still-life and landscapes, shares the intricacies of working with oil mediums, and conducts plein-air workshops. Her works have been exhibited in Istanbul art galleries, with floral still-life being her favoured subject.
3D Animator
Natalie Lam is a 3D animator recognized for her outstanding achievements and honors in the field of Animation Art and Design. With extensive experience in the animation industry, she possesses a remarkable ability to bring characters to life. Natalie has worked on a variety of shows, showcasing her versatility in adapting to different styles. Her goal is to inspire and mentor the next generation of artists, helping them achieve their artistic vision.
Artist, ECUAD
Jinglan Ge is an accomplished artist and designer with a Master's degree in Design from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Canada. With a strong foundation in drawing and extensive creative experience, she is skilled in a wide array of artistic media. Jinglan is dedicated to guiding students in their exploration of different artistic techniques, fostering a dynamic and playful classroom environment that nurtures their creative potential.
Visual Artist
Rachel Ryu is a visual artist and graphic designer with a BA in Industrial Design from Hanyang Women's University in Korea. She has extensive experience as both an artist and designer across various industries. For over six years, Rachel has been teaching drawing and painting to students aged 5 to 19. She is passionate about fostering creativity, exploring diverse art materials, and teaching both fundamental and advanced techniques. Rachel is dedicated to helping students grow at their own pace through art and is excited to share her knowledge and connect with them.
MFA in Textiles, Parsons The New School
BA in Menswear, UAL
Angela holds an MFA in Textiles from Parsons and a BA in Menswear from the University of Arts London and . Her professional journey includes conducting research on Bio-plastics at Genspace in New York, alongside her role as a fashion stylist for numerous celebrities at Harper’s Bazaar China. Passionate about sustainability, Angela is committed to integrating sustainable materials into various industries, aiming to contribute to the development of a more sustainable future.
Artist
Yamah Yusufi is an Illustrator and 3D Artist who was born in Vancouver, majoring in 3D Modelling and Animation from Visual College of Art and Design with a love for designing characters. Yamah has extensive experience working with characters in 3D and 2D mediums in a variety of art styles and greatly enjoys working with people of all ages, happy to share the knowledge mastered over the years.
Contemporary Artist
Marzieh A Fakhr, born in 1981, is an Iranian contemporary artist whose work centers on the provocative and sensual aspects of human nature and the physical body. Marzieh shared her expertise in the field of painting as an instructor for more than 10 years. She worked with students on both a group and individual basis, teaching creative design and painting techniques, including coloured pencil, watercolour, oil painting and acrylic.
Visual Artist
BFA, McGill University
MFA, UBC
Alejandra Morales is a visual artist from Monterrey, Mexico. She received her BA from McGill University in 2016 and recently completed her MFA in Visual Arts at the University of British Columbia. She works mostly on large scale paintings made with oil and acrylics, which she sees as distorted and baroque other-worlds through which she explores traditional female ideals as well as the social practices of her natal city.
Professor of Parsons The New School
Global Mentor / Fashion Influencer
Susanna is an entrepreneurial creative director, executive, and educator. She has managed multimillion-dollar brands, developed business strategies, and elevated the level of design teams, driving business outcomes. Her experience in the women's and men's fashion industry has led her to work with many renowned brands, including Christian Dior Paris, Liz Claiborne, and Hickey Freeman. Over the course of 10 years, Susanna designed, funded, and oversaw operations for her eponymous line, which was carried in Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and over 250 specialty stores. Currently, Susanna is a professor at Parsons School of Design, teaching BFA and MPS courses, and also a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).enjoying the challenges of new subjects, mediums and genres.
Artist
Hai-Ping Lee applies an innovative approach to oil and watercolour painting. Her mixed media work on rice paper combines both traditional and modern styles. Trough out her life she has travelled extensively, taking photographs and using them as reference material for her paintings, Hai Ping has been dubbed an " experimental Artist" enjoying the challenges of new subjects, mediums and genres.
M.Arch, University of Toronto
Chee is a Vancouver based educator and architect, currently working at Cutler Architecture. In the past, he worked at many renowned architecture firms around the world and participated in major projects, including Hongkou SOHO with Kengo Kuma, Prince Plaza with OMA and French International School with Henning Larsen.
Architect AIBC
M.Arch, University of Toronto
Hong is an architect based in Vancouver and has worked in Vancouver and Seoul for over 10 years in architectural design. His project experience varies from mid/high rise residential, cultural, recreation, and education. He has been fascinated by how people perceive space and how it forms collective spatial memory. Recently he started to investigate the correlation between human intuition and the machine in the design process, immaterial architecture, and architecture as image.
MS. ArtCenter College of Design
Chase Airmet is a product designer based out of Austin TX where he has taught design and research basics at the University of Texas at Austin for the iSchool. After completing a MS in Industrial Design from ArtCenter College of Design in 15’ he has focused his work in the healthcare space creating experiences and products to serve patients, physicians, and nurses across the United States for athenahealth, Siemens Healthcare, and now Ascension.
BFA, Illustration, Rhode Island School of Design
Ocean Wong is a queer non-binary artist from Hong Kong. They graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a major in Illustration. Ocean's work focuses on creating characters and stories that raise awareness of under-represented cultures. Having gone through IB Diploma and and portfolio preparation themselves, Ocean understands the expectations of higher education programs.
B.Arch / BFA, Rhode Island School of Design
Lilly Zhang holds dual degrees in Architecture and Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Prior to joining GAAC, she worked at Arno Matis Architecture (OKU Residential Project) and 3SIX0 Architecture (Brown University NCE Building Project). In addition to experiences in the architectural design sector, she has a background in teaching, program development, and student management.
Architect AIBC
M.Arch, Southern California Institute of Architecture
Alan is a registered architect in British Columbia. Alan’s experience includes working in Coop Himmelblau in Vienna, UNStudio in Shanghai, and Arno Matis Architecture in Vancouver. The recipient of numerous awards, including the Red Dot Award in Germany, the A’ Design Award in Italy, Muse Design Award in New York, he currently is a head of WAY Studio in Vancouver.