Michael Rozen + Scott Sueme

How can we push the boundaries of our practice in this new space?

When the hcma studio moved into its current location in the heart of Vancouver, we sought a memorable first installation for our new rotating lobby gallery.

By inviting the artists to create their piece directly onto our lobby walls with the knowledge that it would one day be painted over, we invited the creative process to take place directly inside our studio walls.

Working with ‘Connections’ as a key concept, the design features a colourful set of interlocking and connecting shapes. The geometry is designed to lead the eye from one object to the next, illustrating their connection to each other and as a whole. With that as a focus, the shapes attribute this quality without a linear pattern, or repetition of a specific shape – they are meant to feel organic with a hand painted quality.

‘Connections’ walks the line between graffiti and modern art, featuring two areas of interest with texture cropped within large shapes. One represents a street and city space using weathering and graffiti painting techniques, the other represents a green space and features full foliage and leaves captured from trees around the Vancouver area. This piece pays a tribute to the landscape of Vancouver and our connection with nature as city dwellers.

Following the success of ‘Surroundings’, Rozen and Sueme were invited by hcma client Royal Bay Secondary School to contribute another painting inspired by the architecture. The mural, titled Foundation, is a terrific example of enhancing a built environment through the combination of art and design and was completed before the school opened in September 2015.