Lucy Eckerlin is an 18 year old model currently attending college in Montreal, Canada. She first began modeling in August of 2010 and in a short amount of time has become very sought after for her looks, style and attitude. She hopes to become a professional model, and not only that but also a role model!

Lucy, it is a pleasure to meet you. What first interested you about modeling?

The reason why I want to become a professional model is because when I was younger I always had been picked on and rejected.  I had a lot of difficulty expressing myself to others because of that reason, but through the art and beauty of modeling I can truly express myself.  I always imagined being a model would be something impossible for me to do, but within time I know I can really make my dreams come true.

Designer: Sharone Benamou Photographer: Eric Daoust Photographer

You have a unique look. What nationality are you?

I have a unique mix of ethnicity of: Canadian/Peruvian/Italian/German/Swiss/Russian, and I speak English, French and Spanish.

What are some attributes about yourself, in personality, attitude and physically, that you think are your strongest?

I’m very Determined/Enthusiastic/Energetic/Hard Worker/Good Listener/ Passionate/ Nice/ Easy to work with/ Easygoing/ Optimistic/ In tune with facial and body language/ Patient/ Organized/ Responsible/  Professional and I can express genuine feelings on camera!

MUA: Shannon Leigh, Photo Imagesolutions

How did you get started modeling and what was it like on your first photoshoot?

I hired a photographer the first time I started to make my portfolio. The shoot lasted 3 hours, out in the blazing hot sun, and I brought my whole closet with me! Though all in all it was good, and I learned a lot from my first experience!

What are some of the images and shoots you are proudest of?

Honestly I love all of the shoots I do, but my most proudest shoot was for Matrix (they cut my hair). I got featured in their calender, and in the Canadian Hairdressing Magazine November Issue 2001!

Are there other models or photographers that you admire or that inspire you?

Yes there are, but there are too many to name!

Stylist: Sharone Benamou Hair: Cleyow Cheevre Photographer: Sébastien Robillard

What is the modeling industry like where you live in Canada?

In Montreal there isn’t as much as you think there would be. You always see the same girls, same people, and even if you reach the top of the industry in Montreal you won’t get far unless you travel!

How important is it, for you, to collaborate with the make-up artists, stylists and photographers on your shoots and how receptive are they to your input?

Having a team really makes pictures look more professional! I always try to put a team together! You meet new people, and show others how well you can work!

As far as styles, what styles of modeling do you most enjoy working in?

I like almost every style, but my favorite has to be high fashion hands down!

Model/MUA: Lucy Eckerlin Designer: Sharone Benamou Photographer: Eric Daoust

Tell us a little about yourself and growing up. You say you were picked on and rejected. Do you think this was because others were jealous of your beauty?

I was picked on (as you know) a lot. Though I dont think it was because people were jealous, but it was just high-school, and sometimes kids are mean. I don’t blame them, but I thank them for pushing me to prove to myself that I wasn’t ugly and etc…

I understand you were very good at Track and Field. Tell us more.

I did track and field for 3 years, and in February 2010 I was named the 14th fastest juvenile girl in the province of Quebec. 

I won 2 gold metals (3000 and 1500 meter race) and a silver metal (relay race) that year (my last year of high-school), and the year before that I won a bronze metal (3000 meter race). I stopped because I didn’t want to follow it professionally, but it has helped me shape the person who I am today! I still enjoy my casual runs here and there!

What are you studying in college now and what do you want to do when you graduate?

I am currently in my 2nd year (and going into 4th term) in social sciences – major in psychology. I actually have no clue what I want to be! After college I want to go to trade school to be a building inspector, then go to makeup-school, and then University (Im not sure into what yet)! Though that might all change over the years!

MUA: Lucy Eckerlin Stylist: Sharone Benamou Photographer: Eric Daoust Photographer

What do you enjoy doing when you are not studying and working?

I love hanging out with my friends and dancing/listening to music! I also enjoy watching a good movie and eating some delicious food! One of my favorite places is home, because thats where Im the most comfortable, and nothing feels better than lying in my comfy bed!

Where can we go to find out more about you?

You can go to my fanpage on facebook: www.facebook.com/lucyeckerlin

Sometimes I will write notes about myself so my fans know a little bit more about me! You can even check out my facebook page even if you don’t have a facebook!

Photographer: Beethoven Saintiche MUA: Nathy Makeover Hairstylist: Marie-Christine Chartrand

Please let me introduce myself. My name is Jennifer Nguyen. Born November 18 1987. Yes, that makes me a Scorpio. I know….sounds sexy doesn’t it [haha] I was born in Regina, Canada and the oldest in my family. I have one sister and one brother. We don’t always get a long and really see each other point of view but hey! I still love them to death. My family moved around a lot when I was young so I was really shy. Always changing schools can take a toll on you and your social life. I never had long lasting friends or even stuck around long enough to make a image of myself [haha] I landed in a little town call Prince Rupert when i was about 8 years old and that’s where my family managed to stay for about 7 years [haha]. That’s where I finally had time to create a little childhood life for myself. I made a lot of friends in elementary school and was….well… a pretty big tom boy. I use to always race the boys at break or arm wrestle them in class. I rocked the pony tail like Pam Anderson rocking with her girls. I wore a vest and cargo pants. I have to admit though….as much as I was a tom boy…..I LOVED THE SPICE GIRLS! Watching their video was my routine when I come home from school [haha]

My family owned a restaurant in Prince Rupert so I started working at a pretty young age. I would come home from school and work at the restaurant till closing. Now that I think about it…..working back then made me many tips [haha]. All you have to do is be cute and smile! you don’t even need tits! Prince Rupert is a very small town. To ease my boredom I had my whole huge family of cousins to go on random adventures. The one thing I always remember doing most as a kid is creating clubs and running it or setting up my cardboard box on the side of the street near my restaurant to sell who knows what for a couple bucks so I could go to the dollar store and get a toy [haha] I remember this one time I was walking down a alley and I saw a huge refrigerator box and I thought to myself….” wow…that is one awesome club house!” I dragged that box all the way back to the back to my restaurant. Cut windows into it. Colored it and even taped a smaller box next to it and cut a door out of it. I named it Jennifer’s clubhouse and all my cousins would beg me to join the club. I let them all join and we played in it all day. I was so damn proud of myself but the next day I came back to my restaurant after school and I saw that the box got ruined by the rain. It was completely soaked and mushy! I was pretty sad [haha] So I guess I can say as a child, I was really ambitious already and I always wanted to be the one in charge and I was a little business girl always trying to make some money to get some ice cream or some arts and crafts at the dollar store.

High school rolled around and I was having a blast. Had a awesome group of friends and I was thinking to myself, hey! I think I’m going to be here for a while! That thought didn’t last too long because my mom then announced to me that we were moving to Vancouver. I was in the middle of grade 8 so I begged her not to move because that would kill me in school but my mom insisted that we move. Soo here we go again. Moved to Vancouver. Didn’t know anybody at all and then my 15th birthday rolled by and I had nobody at my birthday party except for my parents friends. Started high school there and it just really sucked that you know you pretty much have to start over. I made friends pretty quickly thankfully! I never really had a group of friends that I was set to hang out with. I bounced around a lot and hung out with everybody in school. I changed my style a lot too haha. High school I fell out of being a tom boy and got more into make-up and hair and more girly clothes but my personality was still boyish [haha]. I am very competitive and tough. I will stand my ground and will fight if I have too. I had a lot of guy friends because I get along with guys a lot better then girls [haha]

I wanted to be a Vet when I was younger….then it changed into a fashion designer then a hair stylist…oh yeah and a cartoonist [haha]. I am a very artistic person. I love anything that has to do with entertainment and music and art. I ended up wanting to be a make-up artist when I got out of high school and instead of enjoying my summer, I enrolled myself into one of the top 3 best make-up school in canada. I spent 10 months there learning about everything possible you can learn about make-up. I wasn’t interested in beauty make-up at all. I actually wanted to learn how to make the mask and costume for horror and fiction films. I wanted to do the special FX and monsters! During school though I learned that people in that industry don’t have relationships and they spend months in a lab without seeing their family! I can’t do that! I love my family and friends and most of all I love being around people so I guess that idea got scratched [haha]

I never thought in my whole life to do any kind of modeling! I met a friend name Stanley Kwok and he asked me to be a model for him at a auto show because one of his models dropped out. At first I said NO! He obviously talked me into it and I still thank him today because without him making me go that day then I wouldn’t be who I am today at all! I had a lot of photographers and people come up to me for work and photoshoots and I guess it just fell into place then. I fell in love with modeling and I guess since then its been all I train myself to do. I stopped though for a bout 2 years and didn’t start up again till I was about 19 maybe? I was very fortunate to get where I am on my own without any agency help. I flew to the USA to do car shows and also around Canada. I started thinking to myself after awhile…how come there isn’t much Go Go dancers in Vancouver so I started up my own group in Vancouver. I called it “Deadly Combination” It was just me and my girlfriend Venessa at the time but we rocked it like no tomorrow. We did that for about a year and I was getting booked 5 times a week! Besides that I was bartending too! Workaholic I know. I love being busy though and that makes me feel proud of myself. I was still flying out of town to do bookings and after a year and a little bit I got pretty tired from dancing and decided to relax on that. I was still bartending and modeling but I didn’t spend too much time on it.

I moved to Toronto in 2010 and It was pretty hard at first because I left without anything at all. Came over here and within a month found a job, a place, a car! Its been a very crazy adventure for sure but I am sooo happy right now with where I am at. I recently have gotten into acting! Its SO FUN! I think I love it more then modeling….shh…did I just say that? hahah. I guess it’s because I been modeling for so long and acting just seems a lot more expressive. My personality does not match my looks at all through my pictures. I may look intimidating but I will probably be the most friendly person you meet and I am so outgoing and funny. Hopefully Acting will become as big in my life as my modeling has been. I do have a lot of projects coming up just you wait and see! Since I moved here I been ask to do so many bookings right left and center! I fell in love with the city of Toronto with their live people and how everybody here is working hard. Awesome food! I LOVE FOOD! [haha] There is always something new about me that you will learn. You won’t be able to get to know me fully but don’t worry…it’ll be close ^____^ I have many many projects coming up and without a doubt you will see a hell lot of me soon enough. I have a feeling this year is one hell of a year so don’t forget to come back and check me out okay!

Dreams do come true. Nobody can play your life game better then you. This Game is going to be the hardest game you’ll ever play and the worst part about it is that there isn’t any cheat sheets. no…you can’t go online to figure it out. You will make mistakes but don’t worry! You can start all over whenever you want and this time…you know where that trap is so jump a little further to skip it. Hit the hard fire balls shooting at you and gain those gold coins. I believe in you ^______^

Thank you so much for everybody who has become my friend and help support my dream. Without you guys then there wouldn’t be me. Please don’t stop supporting me because I am right behind you with your dreams and goals. When you feel the world is against you just remember me! I GOT YOUR BACK! We are all climbing the mountain to the top. I will give out my hand to help pull you closer to the top and I hope you will do the same for me. Life is a adventure and a huge climb. I’m afraid of heights are you? [haha] Close your eyes and don’t stop! follow your heart because in the end everything will work out and your dreams will become your reality ^_____^ once again Thank you for believing in me.

Jennifer, it is a pleasure to meet you. Tell us how you are liking Toronto now what you have settled in.

Hey guys! no no the pleasures all mine ^____^. I LOVE Toronto. I love how multicultural this city is and how everybody is working to become the best at something. Inspiring people all around you and their stories to how they got where they are just makes me want to be better. I use to live in Markham but now I’m downtown and I LOVE IT! I like the busy keep moving type of pace.

You said you were a tomboy growing up. When is it that you discovered your feminine side and what do you think caused the change?

[haha] I think it was in high school when boys decided that tomboy girls are not as kissable as girly girls. I got to get my kissing on so I need to change my look! same game…different look. [haha] I’m just playing. I just got introduced to those teen magazines and BAM! make-up, hair, clothes and boys yay! I am not a girly girl though, just look like one. I am still probably the most tom boy girl you’ll meet. I have a lot more guy friends then I do girls and I understand a guys thought more then a girl. Beer and games? Only if you bring the chicken wings.

With all the things you were interested in (business, the arts, being a veterinarian) you could have gone in many directions with your natural talents and interests. Any regrets with the direction you have taken with your career?

HELL NO! Life is a long road of discovery. I may be doing something right now but a week from now I could be doing something completely different. Your life can be changed in a second and I think it’s just best to enjoy what is going on right now in the present and prepare for more adventure in the future. Every mistake you make will just curve you into a better much wiser person. I don’t know how long I will be doing what I am right now but I will enjoy and do the best I can until the moment of change arrives. ^____^

Tell is a little about “The Chengmen”.

[haha] “The Chengmen” is a friend of mine. He has a Youtube channel and is hilarious. I shot the first video with him when I was in Vancouver visiting my family. I love doing comedy things so this video was awesome. I actually wanted a funnier part but “sexy” couldn’t escape me but I did love the car wash scene. The team he has are amazing guys and a blast to work with. I am looking forward to all the future projects we’re going to do together. You guys should really subscribe to his youtube channel! THE CHENGMAN [haha]

What is it you like about acting?

I am naturally goofy and weird. I do a lot of face expressions and hand gestures and everybody says I should be a comedian. I do love comedy and acting is just so much more then just posing. I like that acting is like fantasy. Everything is unreal but you have to make people believe that it is. Anything can happen and the creativity level is out of this world. Don’t get me wrong modeling is amazing too but I been doing it for awhile now and I’m the type of person that always need to be entertained. That’s why I do so many things [haha]

What are some of your more recent roles and have you auditioned for anything interesting lately?

No I haven’t done much, I been busy trying to get a business plan together. I want to eventually launch my own Make-up line. I also been working on my website and also going to be coming out with my own videos for Youtube. Lots of things to do and not enough time but once it’s up and going…..you are going to be proud. [haha]

Your modeling work speaks for itself. What are some of your accomplishments that you are proudest of?

ahhh, I never really like this question. I always have to think back of what I liked most or when did I feel the most proudest. Truthfully I have so many moments that I feel proud of myself that I don’t have a list. It could be as simple as taking the perfect picture to being Canada Maxim girl of the week. I am also a very ambitious person. I am always thriving to be better always wanting more! I think the one day I feel the most proudest will be when I am successful in everything I wanted to be in and also being able to take care of my parents so they don’t have to work anymore. THAT….will be the proudest day of my life. That’s when you know you deserve to crack open the beer, sit back and enjoy.

What do you enjoy about modeling?

It may seem easy… but It’s more complicated then you think. You have to create a feeling through just a picture. When someone looks at it, what do they feel….DONT SAY BONERS. [haha] I like the fact that everybody as their own style and I feel awesome to be a part of their art work. I also love the travelling and meeting everybody that supports me and other people with dreams just as big as mine. ^______^

Two of your attributes I hear most about from others is your positive attitude and your loyalty to your friends. Do you think that these are accurate about you?

I hear that from everybody I meet that I have a very positive attitude. I feed off other peoples feelings a lot. If their in a bad mood it’ll make me feel bad too so I stay positive and happy because I refuse to be pulled down. It’s a good thing because I will always bring their moods up as well and make sure everybody is comfortable. I don’t like awkward situations and if it does happen I’ll be the one that cracks a joke to break the ice. I don’t have many close friends or friends from childhood but the people that I do consider friends will get all my respect. I am extremely loyal and will help if I can. I don’t care if you used to be a hooker or if you are running away from the government for stealing a hot dog stand….as long your real to me 100 percent. I will accept what you are and embrace our friendship ^_____^ I guess that’s why people love talking to me. They tell me all their secrets because I would never gossip and I am too chill to judge.

Your success in modeling and the hard work you put into everything you do is an inspiration to others. Do you get a lot of women who want to get into modeling asking for your advice?

Yes I do actually. I try my best to answer their questions and give them advice because I remember when I first started. I use to message and ask models myself how they got where they were and what were their advice and never got a replied in return. I learn everything from experience and putting myself out there to learn it the hard way. I remember telling myself….I will help whoever ask for it. I may not have a lot of time but I will at least replied to them the best I can. Every one of them would tell me “omg nobody ever replies to me. I really appreciate you helping” I believe everybody has a dream and I highly respect the ladies out there who are putting in the effort to make their dream into a reality. Good luck ladies

I had read that you were working on your own line of Bikinis. Is this still in the works and are there any interesting projects in the future you would like to share?

Yes, that was a plan of mine but now I am working on launching a Make-up line. I will still do my bikini line but that will be on hold for now so I can create more videos and pictures for you guys!

What do you hope to be doing five years from now?

5 years? I hope by then I am world wide known more then I am now. My make-up line is doing awesome! I started on my bikini line and my parents are no longer working and just sitting around eating and getting fat! ^_____^

Where can we find out more about you and keep updated on your work?

My official website is WWW.JENNIFERNGUYEN.CA I will soon be doing everything on there so if you would like to keep up with me…that is the place. I am also on facebook and twitter.

 http://www.facebook.com/jennifernguyen.ca

Follow me on twitter: @_jennifernguyen

I just want to say Thank you for everybody that has been with me through all this time. Without you there would not be me….well…technically without my parents there would be no me…but you know what I mean [haha] I have a lot plan for the future so stay by my side okay!…. For those of you who are also fighting for your dreams…head up high my friends. Do it passion and no matter what happens never change who you are ..the climb may seem far and high….but enjoy every moment your in and laugh when you can and the trip might not be that long at all. I know you can do it. ^_____^

Much love,

Jennifer Nguyen

Amy Goh was nourished on moldy stories swept ashore from the moody seas of Singapore. She once believed, as a child, that she was not fully human but was, in actual fact, a cat changeling. She also believed that she could turn invisible and thought the landscape of her house a mythic playground populated by non-existent beings, so this should not be entirely surprising.

Having found herself unexpectedly grown up, she continues to subsist on dreamscapes unearthed from the debris of her constantly convoluted mind. She is afraid, deathly, of the dams of her imagination bursting; as such, she wishes she could manufacture numerous doppelgangers to help her conceive the millions of entities populating her skull. She goes to Mcgill University under the pretense of being a student while secretly acting as secret agent to an underground network of indigenous mice. While she is not writing papers, she draws (rabidly) seascapes of forgotten cities with the inky secretions of her pen (which she often thinks of as a 4th limb).

Amy dreams of winding corridors and cellars filled with wood-scented shadows. She adores brie cheese, soya milk, life sipped in a dew the colour of chardonnay, and sometimes, she likes to harbour grey daydreams of taking over the world.

Hi Amy! Thank you for accepting my interview. Tell us a little about who you are and where you grew up.

I’m Amy Goh, a Montreal-based student (in the literal and most abstractest sense of the word), and sometimes I ride the night as an artist. I grew up in Singapore, although I have to say my upbringing wasn’t really that typical of the country itself. I didn’t grow up with the usual societal pressures, but rather carved my own thought-bubble within the closed system. I moved to suburban Vancouver in 2007 and had a bit of a culture shock. It was completely disorientating and I fell a bit into a hole during that period. For three years I was in ‘limbo’ there till I moved over to Montreal to go to Mcgill. Now, I have to say I’m very much loving Montreal

Did you come from an artistic family and when did you first find and decide to develop your artistic side?

‘Family’ is a strange notion for me, since I pretty much convinced myself at age seven that I was an alien changeling child. It made for a bit of a peculiar childhood mindset. My brother and I used to conjure elaborate, rather epic mythic worlds together till he turned 13 and sort of ‘disappeared’ from my life, so I ended up having to fill that gap by writing, drawing and basically stitching my own world together using what I could. I would fill up exercise books and occasionally implicate a friend into my made up realities (until she refused to operate by my rules which annoyed the eight-year-old me a lot, haha). I think myth-making and world-weaving have always been an integral part of my being, in retrospect. I have no idea if it was a healthy or normal thing. I also believed in everything- from magic words, to ghosts, aliens and secret languages. I was very susceptible, in that sense. My imagination and reality were basically undifferentiated. I think a lot of my art now comes out of the desire to structure a lot of those intense experiences I had growing up. Two formative traumatic experiences that would haunt me for years to come would be a Buddhist funeral I attended at seven and watching Independence Day at eight. A mix of the religiously sacred and a piece of the secular ostentatiously pop-cultural- that’s me in a nutshell, haha.

That being said, when my brother was around 11-16, he did do some very surreal, beautiful digital illustrations and won many awards for it. He’s also very skilled in programming. He’s currently doing a P.H.D in artificial intelligence and I have this strange vision of him building cyborgs. Does that count? Personally, I never liked using technology to make art. Tangibility and tactility is vital for me: I need to be able to feel my pen scraping off those minute white fibers. There is an unparalleled intimacy to it. I will not trade my pen and paper for plastic- how horrid!

You are in school now. What are you studying?

Nothing related to visual art, of which I am thankful for! I’m not artistically educated academically in the conventional sense. I am an English major and a German and East Asian Studies minor, although the courses I take are ridiculously fun and feed my art. Last semester, for example, I did a course on the theme of Metamorphosis- we traced the theme from Ovid up to Darwin, Kafka and Calvino with werewolf medieval lays, witchcraft tracts and psychoanalytical lycanthropic medical accounts in between. This semester, I’m doing a course in which we have recurrent excursions to the rare book room where we get to transcribe manuscripts (medieval mark-making and paper-staining!) and marvel at how medieval maps of the world were stock-full of grotesque beasts amidst depictions of angels, and accounts of the apocalypse. You’d have to stop me, or I’d ramble on for an hour about the amazing stuff I study and thus bore you to death.

To tell the truth, one of the courses I took in the German department was what started me drawing again. My professor encouraged me to interact intimately with the subject matter (the grotesque) and I ended up making him 3 ‘book-creatures’, in addition to drawing rabidly and submitting them for his rather eclectic assignments! He let me explore myself creatively, to which I will forever be grateful for.

You gave up illustration for a short time to pursue writing. What made you return or are you going to tackle both?

I have never seen a distinction between my art, writing, and that deceitful gulf people keep trying to convince me exists between. I’ve always had a very coherent vision of what I want to express- the consistency of which is rather nebulous. I have a very vivid dream realm of intense textures, colours and sensations. In that world, each rock contains an individual and multi-faceted story. Words for me are a bit like paint- you can create a great deal of depth, texture and grain by applying their cadences skillfully onto a page. Also, I like that idea of the microcosm within images- that each molecule of existence hides an infinite depth that surpasses any sensory effort at grasping it. I’d like my images to have that mise en abyme effect (the french term for that abyss-esque effect you get when you put to mirrors next to each other at an angle), but on a narrative level. Does that make any sense? Either way, I see both mediums as two sides to the same coin, although that coin I speak of has more than two-dimensions, haha.

One thing I have noticed when looking at your illustrations is the way I see it overall and focus on smaller details which eventually makes me question the story behind it in the first place. They are not something you can just glance at and move on. How involved do you get in the actual conceptualization of them? Do you sketch ideas quickly them flesh them out later?

I’m glad they have that hypnotic effect! Yes, I am a rather obsessive world-builder. I love layering things upon things- my work often weaves in varied and very often obscure literary, mythic, and visual subtexts, many of which only I know! (and many of which I do not realize till some kindly, more knowledgeable personage points it out). I love that nebulous quality- it allows each viewer to see a mirror of their consciousness within the swirl of inky secretions I sprout out. It’s a bit like a Rorschach blot, only much more deliberate. I also like the idea that I’m only a medium, and the reality I mediate is something that is far beyond me, really!

As for idea conception, I let them be born organically. My philosophy is rather like the surrealists: I draw, and I let the shapes take form on the page independent from any cognitive function. That being said, images often flash through my head- a lot of my work consists of elaborations on these reflection that appear to me. Other times, I draw upon concrete emotions or experiences and weave them into a drawing. In this case, drawing becomes a process of organizing the chaos of my mind into a discernible, structured shape (although they often drip into excess). Literature, for me, is one of the ‘tracks’ in which I can closer approximate those other parallel worlds, although I can’t say I actually do any ‘fan art’- that’s too literal! Also, sometimes I love delving into musical worlds and drawing entities our of those swirling dimensions

From reading your blog I see some of your drawings are made from your real-life experiences and those around you. What inspires you?

I don’t really know what ‘inspiration’ is, to tell the truth. As I mentioned, my dream-world has always been verging on breaking the dams of my head. When I first started drawing, it felt that I was constantly tippling close to that brink of Dionysian excess. Now, it’s much more controlled and I’m much, much better at shaping the pictures in my head into what I want them to be. So I guess you could say it’s that unconscious processing of a multitude of past experiences that are in turn crystallized in some kind of forgotten cave at the back of my head after some years that I draw from. A lot of it is personal memories- how they rise up from those musty corridors and interact with the stuff I study in school and the people I meet… Synchronicity, again. I love how very often, life, school and art become one conglomerate glorious mess for me. Brings a new meaning to being one with the absurd universe.

Why do you primarily work in black and white?

It allows me control, I think. I love the process of having to wrestle an entity out of the sprawling whiteness of a page. There is the imperative to manipulate space, only you are given two very clean tools, so you don’t get distracted- something I’m very susceptible to. I’m not sure how to explain it, but when I do colour-stuff, I find that the emphasis becomes more about expression and depth- rendering atmospheres tangible and immediate. However, my storytelling impulse kicks in rather strongly when I operate visually. I find I prefer spreading ink on a page as one would write a rather sporadic, sprawling storyline. Ironically, my poetry tends to be very ‘painterly’- I love manipulating the cadences of words to create an immersive, sensual experience that jars into the everyday and temporarily disconcerts. My poetry is also much, much darker than my drawings can ever be because I deal with a kind of primal before-forms-were-darkness. My drawings tend to invite an external interpretation and a certain emotional distance. Also, I really love seeing ink spread across paper. If I were to devour everyone into one happy Dionysian inky mess, I think we would all be able to partake joyously in our suffering.

Your work is often peaceful and tranquil but are sometimes grotesque like “Skeletal Self” and “Cliff Gates”. Is there a story behind these?

This would warrant a ‘genealogy’ of my art, haha. The first art series I did was actually called “the Grotesque”. It developed organically after I started drawing. It was like a whole dimension gaped in front of my feet and I had to grapple with this desire to just draw till my fingers came off or the apparitions in my head finally disappeared. After that series, I embarked on a slower-paced “katabasis” series (the ones containing the pieces you mentioned), which is the greek word for the hero’s descent into the underworld and back again. Mentally, I was at that period in my life- the last drawing in the Grotesque series contained a girl with an x-ray mirror upon her chest leading to a self-contained room full of shadowed trees and a river of eyes (there is also a looming rather jokingly Freudian silhouette figure at the door). That series was very much about delving into that subconscious realm and dealing with my own demons. I was very much in a ‘desert’ phase in which I couldn’t stop drawing the things beneath things- anatomy, skin, internal organs, etc. I became obsessed with the Mutter Museum and anatomical things. And then came the mummy series wherein I wrapped all of that up and starting growing my ‘garden’. This was also the time my apple girl came into my universe and started planting her trees all over my then sparse landscape.

I also think you have a great imagination and are an excellent writer. You also are a photographer and have collaborated with musicians as well. What are your favorite art forms to express yourself?

I’m glad you think so, although I have a huge way to go, I think. I’ve always thought myself as a writer first and foremost- there is no logic behind that. Maybe it’s because most of my inspirational sources are literary (I devoured books as a child, and I still do! I’m a total bookworm, haha). As for art forms, I don’t know. As I mentioned, all art is an attempt to give form to the rather nebulous dimensions of the psyche for me. All my art attempts to bridge words/art/music and somehow create a separate world, even if it’s clumsily stitched, stapled and scotch-taped together (sometimes literally so, in the case of my books). Ah! I guess I have to say that my favourite ‘art form’, then, would be bookmaking and dimension-creating. I’d love to have more installation shows. I have this really cool idea for a carnivalesque show in which you enter through the disturbing corridors of the artist’s mind (strewn with fabric, dry ice, and disturbing taxidermy) into a dark chamber full of baroque-framed drawings. Or there is that other project I’m hoping to do in which I recreate a space of memory- I’m hoping to project my drawings upon the walls so they create a watery world of stories. I’m planning to stage the former in Montreal, and the latter in Singapore this summer and winter respectively.

I love, love, love “My Labyrinth Book” and want to make one for myself. Tell us about your book creatures series.

I’m glad you enjoyed them! I loved doing my books. It opened me to a method of art-making that I always suspected existed, but wasn’t sure I could successfully carry off. They actually began- the proper books that is, not the zines- out of a project I did for my Grotesque German professor (that is the name of the class, really!). I wanted to see how the very architecture of the book- the way pages are stitched together, or can be opened or read in multiple ways and from multiple angles- can be made into a kind of sculpture full of different, intersecting points. Oh, that wasn’t very coherent. Well, basically, I wanted to explore the different angles on which you could create the physical art artifact, so you’re interacting with it on a multi-dimensional level. I love the idea of having to manipulate the book-artifact by opening up folds, delving into pockets, turning it around, or navigating it through a misleading map that withdraws more than it discloses…

I’ve read you are a big fan of Asian movies. Does the duality we see in your art (beauty vs. grotesque) also apply to your taste in film and, aside from Teshigahara and Miyazaki,  tell us about some of your favorites films.

Ohh, that’s very hard. I love, love film! I did a course on German silent cinema and modernity last semester, actually. Which is when I discovered Metropolis rather embarrassingly late. My taste is very eclectic. There are the usual suspects: Blade Runner, Metropolis, The City of Lost Children, a Taste of Tea. But I also love Jan Svankmajer’s works and those old Russian animations by Yuri Norstein. I also love devouring information, so I have a rabid appetite for BBC documentaries, does that count? I also love foreign movies in general, and how they seem more meditative and utilize a slower, more poetic pace. Flicks like 3-iron, Woman in the Dunes or The Last Life in the Universe go under this category. It spreads upon your mind like a pool rather than erupting continuously upon your brain-pate, and I’m one for savouring my cinema ether. I guess I’m not really a huge fan of Hollywood, generally. Not for any snobbish reason, though! Ironically, I just have no patience for them… I can’t sit through one without switching to something else. I have a very limited attention span, and I prefer melting my mind-juices rather than be shot continuously with a series of sensations. I swear I’m not a cinema snob!

Oh, I also really like anime. Favourites include Cowboy Bebop, Lain, Mononoke, Kino’s journey, Tekkonkinkreet, Twelve Kingdoms (which I recently finished) and myriad others.

You are based in both Singapore and Canada, What are some of the differences in the artistic communities in each country?

What artistic community in Singapore? Haha, I kid. I’m not the best person to ask, but I do remember there being an eclectic community in Singapore full of unique artists who help organize really cool events. But none of it really gets out because Singapoeans have a severe inferiority complex and refuse to take anything created within Singapore as legitimate, which really saddens me. The general crowd sees things very much in terms of money, which is not conducive for an artistic environment (warning: I’m making a broad, sweeping statement that compromises many people!). However, I get the impression that the obsession with style and presentation in Singapore and the high societal pressures makes artists able to be carry a certain polished classiness, yet make controversial statements that have to be made. But that’s really an impression- I’m afraid I’m not qualified to comment properly.

As for Canada, I can only speak for Montreal. Montreal is rather like a breeding ground for artists to experiment- there are no limits to how crazy you can be here. It’s both good and bad. Also, rent is cheap, so artists can do that and still survive. I find that it’s a much more transitory scene, though. A friend of mine rightly said that it’s sort of an incubation place for artists where we find ourselves and our artistic vision. Many artists, musicians or spoken word artists suddenly acquire popularity and move to New York or Toronto. But for an emerging artist like me who is intent on experimentation, and totally against compromising my vision even for some flimsy promise of fame, it’s a good place to be. Also, there is a crazy amount of art happening here, continuously. I suspect everyone here is crazy.

Where can we find out more about you and your work?

My main site is over on www.atlantisdreaming.org.

However I also update my blog fairly regularly: http://catewigs.livejournal.com

And I have a facebook page that I update once I finish a piece: www.facbeook.com/inkyapocalypse.

I also have a profile up on Hire an Illustrator, for a more curated selection of my work: http://www.hireanillustrator.com/i/portfolio/amy-goh/

This interview conducted by:

Senior Reporter and Journalist Susan Hu

With a masters degree in media and governance and a masters degree in journalism from Indiana University, Susan Hu lends her expertise and professionalism to each interview and article she posts here. The winner of the 2006 Miss Shanghai competition, she is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Shanghainese, English and level N2 Japanese.

My name is Em Elle and I was born and raised in Calgary.  My parents are Chinese immigrants to Canada so they always were very strict about pushing us (me, my sister and brother) to excel in school, piano and other things that “good Chinese girls do.”

I graduated from high school and enrolled in The University of Calgary.  I had a double major in Education and Psychology with the intention of pursuing a career working with under-priviliged children and youth.  While I was in University I did a lot of volunteer work with The Boys and Girls Club of Canada and Read Canada working with their programs for socially disadvantaged children.  I received my Bachelor of Arts With Distinction and immediately left for Japan because I was offered a job teaching at an all boy’s high school.

Coming to Japan was a big shock…I was only 21 years old so only a couple years older then a lot of my students.  The school did not expect a “non-white” English teacher so they basically hated me on sight.  My first year in Japan was rough, I worked at the high school, had 2 part time jobs but was still dirt poor, slept on the floor, had no tv, fridge and barely enough money to eat everyday.  My contract with the school was for a year but after I completed it, I felt that I hadn’t seen or done enough in Japan to call it quits (plus I had no money for a plane ticket home and there was no way I was going to admit to my parents I need money!) so I quit the high school and found a job teaching at a private English school.  That wasn’t much better then the high school but it gave me a chance to see and do more in Japan.  I continued to work there for 4 years and I decided to open my own English school.  Found a place, renovated it myself, started with 3 students and after a couple years built the number up to well over a hundred.

Now that I had my business running smoothly I had time to pursue further interests.  I had always been artistic and actually had hoped to to go art school after high school (much to the horror of my parents and they absolutely forbade it!) I began drawing and painting and as luck would have it, met a tattoo artist in Tokyo who inspired me to try tattooing.  The decision to start tattooing certainly made my life a lot more uncomfortable.  I drew everyday, tattooed pig-skin and graduated onto practicing on my own legs.  It took me awhile but I finally got to a level where I felt I could start tattooing people.  That was years ago…  I have tattooed in Thailand, Canada, and Japan.  I am currently setting up a studio in Okinawa, Japan.

As far as modeling goes…that is kind of something that happened.  I love it because I have had the opportunity to meet so many creative and interesting people.  It really is a chance to step out of reality.  I have shot in abandoned waterpark, been tied by a Japanese dominatrix, been lowered in a decaying ship by rope, snuck into factories, stripped in an burnt down strip club, laid freezing on a frozen lake…

In my free time I like to work out (actually, YEARS ago I competed in the Miss Kanagawa Bodybuilding Contest and placed as the first runner up in my first year).  It was just something I want to try and I wasn’t thrilled with how my body looked so I stopped.  I do kung-fu, like to travel (nothing is better then exploring a brand new place), bake (although I have done some horrible things to food in the name of trying to make it low-fat).

Em, it is an absolute pleasure to talk to you. You have an amazing story. When you first went to Japan you said your students “hated you on sight” because you were not white. Did the students learn to accept you after awhile?

Actually, it wasn’t the students who hated me on sight, it was the Principal and my fellow teachers. I suppose it is a little harsh to say they hated me. I guess I just wasn’t what they expected so instead of dealing with me, they didn’t give me a desk in the staff room and put me in my own little room and tried to ignore the fact that I was there.

You were raised in Canada in a Chinese Family. How was your Japanese when you first arrived?

I didn’t speak a word of it!

Was the lack of money in the beginning due to the high expense of living in Japan or low initial salary?

It was a combination of both. I made minimum wage but my employer took a large percentage of it for “health” and rent.

When you started your own school were your parents finally proud of what you had accomplished?

Yes, but they still hoped I would return to Canada and become a lawyer or doctor.

Are you still involved in the school you ran or have you given it up to pursue tattooing and modeling full time?

The school is running and I am as involved as I can be and try to teach classes when I can. I worked there while I was learning how to tattoo and even the first couple years while I was struggling to master tattooing.

You have always had an interest in the Arts and are actually a very skilled artist. Had you considered other artistic outlets before tattooing?

Since I was a child I was drawing. I also enjoy painting when I have the time.

What was your first tattoo and, looking back on it, what do you think about it?

I can’t believe I am admitting this but I had a flash tribal design on my lower back. Hey, it was awesome way back when….Honestly, I don’t get the whole “tramp stamp” thing…the lower back is a very flattering place for a woman to get tattooed!

Have you designed the ones on your body and can you describe them to us?

I drew the phoenix on the left side of my body and the tattoos on my legs(with the exception of the butterfly) were drawn up and tattooed by me.

What is your favorite part of the job?

I love the artistic element but I think my favorite thing is the people. I have met so many wonderful, crazy, funny people-there is never a dull day.

Are there any famous artists, tattooists or not, that have influenced you down the path of your career?

Too many to name….

What would you recommend to someone wishing to get into the tattoo business?

I think the first thing would be for that person not to think of it as a job. It is much more of a commitment then that and really demanding. You have to really love it. Also I think tattooing is not the sort of thing you pursue like you do with traditional jobs-it just happens…

Where do you see the art of tattooing in 10 or 20 years from now?

I imagine it will keep evolving…look at how far it has come in the last 10-20 years.

Do you think it will ever become fully accepted as an art?

To some it will and to some it won’t.

In the West there is a perception that in Japan only the Yakuza have tattoos and in China tattoos are a sign of being a criminal. Are these false claims?

Traditionally this was the case but that is no longer true.

I want to talk a little about your modeling portfolio. Although you do it on the side it is very impressive and I can easily see it being a full time profession for you. Is it something you would like to do more of?

Actually, I have really cut down on modeling as I have gotten busier.

How did you first get involved in modeling? Where you approached for a certain job?

I got asked to model for someone…blonde, busty, Asian women with tattoos are somewhat hard to find!

Do you find the modeling profession easy and is it very competitive in Japan?

There are still very strong stereotypes of beauty in Japan-thin, white skinned, long black hair young women. It is unfortunate but you don’t often see much variety in the media and there certainly isn’t much of a demand for more alternative types of beauty. I can`t say whether it is competitive or not because I have never really pursued it.

What styles or types of modeling do you enjoy?

I like shoots that are different. “Pretty-girl-in-the-park” pictures are great but I think there are a lot of models better suited for that type of photoshoot. If I get to meet creative people, go to an unusual location and do something new, I am happy.

You described some very interesting scenarios in your modeling. Is there any that you had to turn down?

Anything too gory, degrading or blantly sexual.

Health and fitness is obviously very important to you. What do you do to stay in shape?

I am a high strung person so I need to start almost every day with a workout to clear my mind (while mentally planning my day….) I used to do a lot of weights, especially when I was competing in body building but I have really cut down on that. Lately, I have just been busy with the usual gym work outs. I keep meaning to get back into kung fu or boxing but there never seems to be enough time…

Is your diet easier to manage in Japan as opposed to the West?

The Japanese diet is a lot healthier and portions are not as ridiculous. That being said, the majority of food available in North American can be found in Japan. I guess it is up to you what you put in your mouth!

Any interest in competing again?

I am uber-competitive so the thought of preparing myself to kick butt does appeal to me! I don’t want to compete in body building again-I just didn’t like how it made my body look.

After all you have accomplished do you think you have your parents approval?

I don’t know if that is possible with Chinese parents!

What strikes me about you is a sense of adventure and a willingness to take risks. Is that accurate and how would you describe yourself to other?

Thank you! I like to think that I am always open to new experiences. Isn’t that what life is about…experiencing the world? Describe myself…as tempting as it is to make myself sound completley awesome, I will let people come to their own conclusions as to how to describe me…

What do you do (beside work out) for fun in your free time?

Free time…what’s that? When I can find time, I like to travel, go places I have never gone to before, eat, buy shoes…

You have traveled quite a bit. Any favorite or new places you would like to travel to?

Where DON`T I want to travel to? I would love to spend the rest of my life just traveling from place to place.

Where would you like to see yourself doing 5 years from now?

Doing new things and meeting great people.

Terri-Jean Bedford is one of Canada’s most notorious citizens—but few know her under that name. As Madame deSade, however, she was Canada’s most famous dominatrix, a well-known public figure.

Terri-Jean was born into abject poverty and put into a foster home at age six, where she suffered abuse. She was later moved into facilities for children and lived there until she was sixteen, when she left to make it on her own. She survived by working numerous unskilled jobs, until she entered the world of prostitution.

Her talents and interests helped her move into the elite world of the professional dominatrix, and her life would never be the same. Located just outside of Toronto, her elaborate Bondage Bungalow became the target of a spectacular raid. Six highly publicized years of trials and appeals later, she was convicted under bawdy-house laws and paid a small fine. In 1999, she opened a similar facility in downtown Toronto, one that closed without police interference in 2002.

She remains a vocal advocate for civil rights and the disenfranchised. She has been a plaintiff in a major constitutional challenge, and, as a result, Canada’s prostitution laws were struck down in 2010.

Because of Terri-Jean’s failing health, Madame deSade hung up her whips and is now happily retired. Today, Terri-Jean leads a quieter life, enjoying the company of her daughter and grandson. Hers is a story of survival, trial, and triumph.

Her book, Dominatrix On Trial: Bedford vs Canada, is the real-life story of survival, trial, triumph and the many roles
Terri-Jean played throughout her life.

Terri-Jean, it is a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Your book was recently published but you didn’t sit down and write it one sitting. You have been writing it for 15 years now. Was it always your intention to write a book about your life?

No. But the man in the book called Scott told me that I should make a hobby writing about the Bondage Bungalow and about my legal battles as they unfolded. He worked with me on it, as did others. Eventually the question was when to publish. When the recent court decision was out in September 2010 the time was right to have editing done and go to press.

The reaction by early readers ranged from anger over the authorities ability to be just and fair, sympathy for the hardships you faced in life and surprise about how hard a business being a Dominatrix actually is. What other reactions or feedback have you been getting?

Much the same as you mentioned. I have talked a lot about the reactions in the blogs on my website (terrijeanbedford.com). But briefly here I would just say that almost all have commented on how well-written it is, in their view. Some have also found it took a long time to read because of the many people it discusses and the many things I have been through.

Since our readers are from various parts of the world and may not know about you can you give us an introduction to your childhood and your path into becoming a dominatrix? You had a very difficult childhood.

My childhood was a nightmare. I was abused and neglected, and I did a lot of acting out. As an adolescent I did all the bad things. Prostitution was one of the things I did to survive. Becoming a dominatrix was another.

In your book you describe the running of the Bondage Bungalow as a business. What were those days like for you?*

Very busy. Very interesting. Sometimes stressful. Sometimes deeply rewarding. Remember, I ran two houses. One was 1993 to 1994 and the other 1999 to 2002. I was the owner and boss and had all that went with that. But as part of a life I wouldn’t have traded those experiences in, as I look back.

At one point you had 18 girls working for you. Part of the reason you took some in was because it was safer for them to work for you than it was on the street. Do you still stay in touch with some of them?

No. At no time did I have 18 employees at the same time. Over time I had more than that. I am in touch with a few.

Tell us a little about the raid.

The 1994 raid is the one you must be referring to. I was also raided in Windsor in 1986. It was a complete shock. I expected that we might be shut down for operating in a residential area, but having the SWAT team and all that was frightening and infuriating. They were excessive in every way and the judge let them get away with it. Ultimately it worked against them of course. They are still answering for it today.

You ran away to Vancouver after you were charged but eventually spent 15 months in prison. Is this covered in your book as well?

Yes. In some detail.

In Canada it is legal to engage in the act of prostitution, but illegal to be indoors, hire bodyguards or help or to screen clients, is that correct? So you challenged those points saying that it made it unsafe. What was the final outcome?

The final outcome was that the judge in 2010 said we were right in our challenge. Other occupations that are legal are not restricted in these ways. A decision on the government’s appeal may come out any time.

You have written the book and retired for now. Was the act of writing the book a release for you? Was it difficult going back and remembering? Looking back are you satisfied with what you accomplished?

As I said in the book, it was worth writing, and at times it hurt to look back and lay my life before the public. But I am very satisfied with the book.

Your book is, of course, your story but it is also a story about freedom and overcoming adversity and applies to us all. Who are the dozen and the heroes who helped you over come the adversities in your life?

None of The Dozen are lawyers. They are from all walks of life, but only a few were or are affluent. Not all are educated. I discuss them all in the book, which, I think I should mention, is called “Dominatrix on Trial: Bedford Versus Canada”

You are overcoming some medical issues now but you are very upbeat and positive. How do you keep such a great attitude?

I am not always upbeat and positive. Some days I am in pain and some days I am worried. But I like to discuss the issues and meet people and their reactions and comments to our legal battle and to my book are so encouraging that it cheers me up a great deal.

Lastly is there anything else you would like to say to out readers?

I would like to thank them for sharing this interview with us and urge them to follow the huge debate on the prostitution question that is likely to be ignited in Canada by the coming court decision.

Where can we stay updated on you and where can we find your book?

You can get my book by going to: dominatrix on trial.com

I have 2 other web sites that will be linked to that site, and on those I will be blogging again soon and will keep everyone posted on what is happening.

Nana Akimoto, a striking elegant Japanese model in beauty and a role model of determination is taking Toronto by storm.

Her journey to live the Canadian Dream started back in Japan, where she toiled and laboured as she worked 3 jobs, before and after school to save up enough money to move to Canada. Long days from 5am to Midnight this Japanese Cinderella was determined to have the world recognize her beauty and courage. Her drive paid off as she began to see many opportunities coming her way. Many opportunities were in the competitive modeling industry, in which, she quickly became in great demand by rapidly growing fans.

Nana has been modeling in both North America and Japan… She has been published and showcased on mainstream magazines, newspapers, and websites. Nana was graced with having the title of “Miss Beauty of Japanese Canadian 2009” (Beauty of Asia Pageant).” After winning “Miss Beauty of Japanese Canadian 2009” the doors of opportunities grew and grew. She has been featured by and for the following; Cover girl of INSERT magazine, Pie magazine, and Toronto Sunshine girl..etc Nana has a depth of character as deep as her beauty and some of her strongest characteristics are that she is a very open-minded individual, always well presented and is an extremely genuine and sociable person which allows her to adapt to different environments.

Great to meet you, Nana. When you were in Japan what made you want to move to Canada?

I didn’t like life style in Japan… people are always in rush and stressed…so I wanted to move somewhere has more freedom and opportunities which maximize my potential of being success. And I found Canada is the best country to live because there are equal opportunities for everyone regardless of gender, age, and race.

Where did you grow up and when you were young what did you want to do?

I was raised in Yokohama, Japan. I am one of the girls who always change mind for what want to be … as far I remember, I wanted to be a teacher, singer, flight attendants, actress, chef…etc So many dream I had!

Is modeling very competitive in Toronto?

Yes! As you can see there are so many beautiful ladies in Toronto. One of uniqueness of Toronto, “multiculture” makes us exotic and one-of-a-kind.

You also have been hosting events. What are some of them and what do you like about hosting?

I like hosting events because it allows me to meet people who support me and great opportunity to get know them better!

What are you like “behind the scenes”, when you are not in front of the camera?

Same! Dosent matter if im on camera or behind the scenes, I just being me

What advice would you give to a young girl who might want to model?

Don’t get over confident and do not forget the appreciation who worked for you.

What do you hope to be doing in the future?

I want to open up my own restaurant!

Aimee Butler began modeling December 2004, in her home country of Australia. She spent the last 4 years living in Asia (currently she is in Shanghai) and has modeled in Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines, and now China.

Her editorial clients include: China Boating, Jessica, Adidas for Rack, SH, Yoho and Self.

Her commercial clients include: The London Beauty Spa, David’s Jewelry, Fashion TV (FTV), and Photography

FAQs: Portraits (ava), Laotian Coffee, Oxfam.

Aimee is also an accomplished actress and has studied acting at the Adelaide Centre for the Arts (ACARTS), where she completed a full time year long program. Her acting work includes: TVCs, (mini) TV Series, Short Film, Theatre and Musical Theatre.

Aimee, it is inspiring to see all you have accomplished. What advice might you have for other women who might want to explore modeling?

Thank you for your compliment & for asking my advice. EVERY model will find jobs they suit & don’t suit. If you can learn, to NOT take rejection personally, then you will find success in the modeling industry. BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY ACTION OR SPEND ANY MONEY, PLEASE WILL YOU READ THESE TWO BOOKS:

1) The Professional’s Guide to Modeling by Roger Talley

2) Treasure Yourself by Miranda Kerr

I read these books, a long time after I was actually modeling & I still learned many valuable lessons.

You are best known for your freckles, uncommon in Asia. Do you get a lot of requests to do skin modeling?

Yes, people love my freckles & my skin. They love my uniqueness.

How did being Asian affect your modeling? Do you think you were treated differently in any way?

Being Asian doesn’t make it better or worse. There are jobs you suit & other’s you don’t. This is the case for every model. Interestingly enough, I went to a calendar casting & they weren’t expecting any Asians. However, they liked me so much, they chose me too!

I understand you were just picked up by a modeling agency in Canada. Will you be doing more work in North America now?

Yes and also worldwide.

You are from Australia but now live in Asia. How was the transition to a different culture and language?

The Philippines wasn’t so difficult, as they speak English. However, Hong Kong & China have been extremely challenging. I had no idea about Chinese culture & I don’t speak Mandarin, Cantonese or any Chinese dialects. To learn, I read a book called Chinese Business Etiquette, by Scott D. Seligman.

In terms of Shanghai, I truly appreciate the assistance, thoughtfully set up for foreigners i.e.

- Street signs written in English
- Free Expat magazines, such as That’s Shanghai
- CCTV broadcasts news in English, German, Arabic, and Russian
- The local Chinese who speak English i.e. at banks, information hotlines etc…

You are learning to write now, I understand. What is your next step?

My next step will be following the advice & instructions I have learned, to be a very successful writer.

What type of writing do you hope to do?

Film scripts & books i.e. Kids, drama, thriller etc…

What do you see yourself doing in five years?

Of course, still writing, modeling & acting.
I will be married for 15 years. My marriage will have continued to blossom, as it always has. In this world, my husband’s love for me is rare, a smiling sunflower, strong & always blooming. We will continue to support, encourage & be wonderful to each other.

I will have a wonderful array of new sub-personalities & be accessing my super conscious at will.

Favorite colors?

Green, Pink, Red

Favorite movie?

As Good As it Gets. Jack Nicholson brings joy & humor, to the meanest characters he plays.

Guilty Pleasure?

Chocolate

Favorite de-stresser?

Sleep

Pet Peeve?

Not knowing where my things are, cause I haven’t paid attention to where I’ve left stuff.

Your “go to” food?

My dad’s Spaghetti

Fun fact about you?

I have been a student Irish Dancing teacher to the wee ones (Beginners).

Website?

www.aimeebutler.carbonmade.com

Agam Darshi is a sought after Canadian actress based in Los Angeles and Vancouver.

She is currently working as a series lead in the sci-fi show: Sanctuary (Syfy/Space) where she plays the tough as nails Kate Freelander, for which she has been nominated for 2 Constellation Awards. Agam was also a series lead in season 1 of Dan for Mayor (CTV) for which she earned a Canadian Comedy Award nomination for best ensemble. She played Aparna in the mega blockbuster hit 2012, and Saphira in the Canadian indie Excited for which she is nominated for a LEO award for Best Supporting Actress. Most recently Agam completed a lead in the ‘UNTITLED MICHAEL SARDO PROJECT’ alongside Carrie-Anne Moss (Matrix), directed by Emmy Winner Timothy Busfield. Other works include a recurring role on The L Word (Showtime), a lead in Haunting on Sorority Row alongside Gossip Girls Leighton Meester, as well as roles in Snakes on a Plane and Final Destination 2.

Agam Darshi was born in England and raised all over Canada: Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and finally settled in Vancouver. She received a BFA in Visual Arts with a focus in photography and Minor in Theatre from the University of Calgary. She then went on to complete an intensive Studio 58 Film Arts program at Langara College, with a focus on Screenwriting, and has been writing and producing films ever since.

Apart from acting and filmmaking Agam is an avid traveler. She is a vegetarian and in 2010 was chosen to be a Champion for WeCanada an environmental organization. In 2008, Agam cofounded: VISAFF the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival, which was the first of its kind in Western Canada. Agam was featured in Anokhi Magazine’s ‘Sexy & Successful List’ for 2008, and was chosen as one of TV WEEK’s Top 10 Most Beautiful People in BC in 2010.

It is a pleasure to meet you. I am very excited to talk to you and I am sure the readers will be as well. Tell us how you first got involved with acting.

I always loved acting. It’s been a dream and passion of mine since I was a kid and I would direct my cousins and we’d put on performances in front of our families. I minored in Theatre at the University of Calgary. I never thought I’d act as a profession. I thought I’d be a photographer but I always thought I’d do a bit of theatre of performance art on the side.

I moved to Vancouver and took a teacher’s advice who told me to get an agent, which I did. My very first audition was for RenegadePress.Com and I was booked for it. I was flown to Regina, Saskatchewan for three weeks. I was thrilled because I had never been there before.

Four months later I was flown to LA to screen test for an ABC TV show. It was down to me and another girl who ended up getting it but it felt like it was a sign that I was meant to do this. Things happened fast and it snowballed from there.

You grew up in the UK, then moved to Canada and now reside in Los Angeles. How do you like it in LA so far?

I was born in England and grew up in Canada (we moved to Montreal when I was three.)

I like LA. I’m still going back and forth between LA and Vancouver. They are such different cities and challenge and comfort me in different ways. I feel so lucky that I have the opportunity to live in both places. LA is exciting and scary. It’s fast paced. It’s inspiring. People work really hard here, and I appreciate that but I do miss the quiet moodiness of Vancouver sometimes…

You have appeared in many Sci-Fi shows. What attracts you to the genre?

I have: Sanctuary, Stargate Universe, Stargate, Kyle XY, and Supernatural…

There is a lot of Scifi that gets filmed in Vancouver. I think because of the ‘moodiness’ of the city. It rains a lot and has an interesting ambience for scifi shows/films.

What I like about scifi is that ‘anything is possible’. Anything. Within the context and world of the show so casting is sometimes more out of the box, which is great. Also, the stories are out of the box. It’s fun to watch and to get invested in the characters and their arcs.

You are also a writer, I understand, and have written a number of shorts and are working on a feature. Can you tell us how it is progressing and a little about it?

mmm…no I can’t! haha. For me, my process – whether it’s writing or painting or acting, it’s so personal. It’s not until I am ready to go into production or put on an exhibit that I feel I should talk about it. Before then, it’s just me being an artist without judgment of what I’m working on. As soon as you speak about your projects, it adds expectations and I think the process of art should be without expectation so that you can allow yourself to fail. That’s when the most wonderful discoveries are made…

You will be attending Con*Cept in Montreal, Armageddon Expo in Melbourne and London MGM Expo back to back. Quite an ambitious travel schedule. Do you enjoy the travel and making appearances?

I only did one convention last year in Vancouver. This whole convention life is very new to me but I am very excited. The Sanctuary fans kick ass. They really do. They are incredibly supportive and curious and respectful. So I’m thrilled to meet them.

Yes, I am a HUGE traveler. I’ve been to all those places before and I’m so excited that I get to go there again. Hopefully though, I won’t be too jetlagged.

With all the traveling you do, what do you do to take care of your health?

Not sure yet! It’s really important to drink tons of water on planes and NO caffeine. I also never travel without my own neck pillow. Carry Vitamin C with me at all times and my special weapon is apple cider vinegar. It kills ALL germs. A tablespoon in hot water in the morning and before bed, and you’re golden.

You just completed a feature, “The Crimes of Mike Beckett”. Can you tell us a little about your role in that?

The story is about a man named Mike and terrible choices he makes in his life in the name of happiness. It’s a dark, ironic film that only someone like Bruce Sweeney can make. It’s been a fantastic experience. He’s a very unorthodox filmmaker and I adore him and hope to make many more films with him.

It stars Nicholas Lea (files) who plays Mike. I play Jasleen Reckett, Mike’s wife. I try to support him throughout his journey until things reach a breaking point. Nick was great to work with too and I grew a lot from the experience.

I have to ask you about “2012″. It was such a huge special effect movie. What do you think of the process and did you find acting in such a huge movie difficult?

It was enormous. The tsunami scene was so grandiose, both in the process of making the film and the end result. They literally built a mountain top in a giant soundstage that we had climbed. It was really fun to make. I don’t mind green screen work at all. We do a lot of it on Sanctuary. It’s fun. It makes me feel like a kid again where all I have is my imagination and I just have to react.

I think fans know you best as Kate Freelander from Sanctuary. How do you like the role and do you think there is any similarity between you and Kate?

I like to call Kate my ‘alter ego’. She is not like me and very much who I wish to be at times. She’s tough. Sarcastic. Says what she thinks and doesn’t care what others think of her. I wish I was like that! I’m far more sensitive and girly than she is but I take solace in knowing that I’m probably closer to her than I think, since she lives somewhere in me.

Have you ever felt your ethnicity was a hinderance to you in getting roles?

I’ve been incredibly lucky. I haven’t. Sure I’ve played the typical Indian girl roles here and there and they’ve been fun but there has been one or two times where I got close but ultimately was NOT cast because I of my ethnicity. I’m sure that happens to blonds or brunettes too.

For the most part, I never have really felt that being South Asian was a challenge. I’ve never seen myself as a ‘minority’ and I think that comes across.

What is next for you? Where do you see yourself in five years?

Gee – I can’t even figure out where I’m going to be in December! I’d like to see what LA holds for me. Maybe it’s a place for me, maybe not. Perhaps I’ll stay and keep working as an actor. I’d like to take a leap and try directing one day…

Or maybe I’ll go back to Vancouver and get my Masters in Theatre. Or maybe I’ll get into holistic medicine. Who knows? Seriously, my life is THAT unsure. But I think I thrive when it’s like this.

Any advice for young actors who may want to follow in your footsteps?

It’s important to listen to your heart and do what you love. Ask yourself why you’re doing it. Fame and fortune, as wonderful as it is, is a bi-product of loving the process.

If you truly love to act or make films, you will find ways to do it – even if the world says you can’t. If you make your own films or write your own shows, eventually the world gets tired and says, ‘”Fine, I guess you can”.

www.agamdarshi.com

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