Join host Sky Lilah in conversation with Vancouver-based artist Elizabeth Cross, whose fascination with nature, love, and human connection fuels her vibrant, textured botanicals and expressive abstract works. With a background in Bio-Resource Engineering, Elizabeth brings a unique perspective to her art — blending science, emotion, and unconventional materials (plus a touch of sparkle).

In this episode, Elizabeth shares how she’s built a sustainable art practice from her Kerrisdale studio, what it takes to grow an authentic brand, and how she balances creativity with business. From process to pricing to personal evolution, this is a candid look at what it means to live and work as a professional artist today.

Whether you're a fellow artist, collector, gallerist, or simply art-curious, this episode offers inspiration and insight into the modern art world — one story at a time.

 For more from the Vancouver Visual Art Foundation, follow @vanvafofficial and @artvancouver for updates on our art fairs, events, and exhibitions — or visit artvancouver.net and vanvaf.com. 

In this episode, host Sky Lilah sits down with Vancouver-based portrait artist Haisha Shahalimi, whose work explores themes of identity, memory, and belonging. Working primarily with acrylic on canvas, Haisha uses color, expression, and detail to tell deeply personal stories, capturing not just the face, but the emotional and cultural layers beneath.

She opens up about the influences behind her work, her experiences navigating the art world as a woman of color, a mother, and how she connects with her subjects to create portraits that feel alive. Haisha also reflects on the role of art as a mirror for community, healing, and self-understanding.

Whether you're an artist, curator, or collector looking to discover powerful narrative portraiture, this conversation offers an honest look at how personal truth becomes universal through paint.

For more from the Vancouver Visual Art Foundation, follow @vanvafofficial and @artvancouver — or visit artvancouver.net and vanvaf.net.

In this episode, host Sky Lilah speaks with Nigerian artist Silas Onoja, whose hyperrealist portraits challenge assumptions and reflect his lived experiences growing up in a society where creative careers were discouraged. From facing cultural and financial resistance to teaching himself how to paint using limited tools, Silas shares how he carved his path as a self-taught artist — and how hyperrealism became both his passion and protest.

Together, they discuss what it means to paint truthfully, the discipline behind realism, and the importance of representation in the global art scene. Silas also reflects on how social media helped him bypass traditional gatekeepers and connect directly with audiences around the world.

Whether you're a gallerist, collector, or emerging artist, this episode offers a raw and inspiring perspective on talent, perseverance, and the evolving art landscape.

 For more from the Vancouver Visual Art Foundation, follow @vanvafofficial and @artvancouver for updates on our art fairs, events, and exhibitions — or visit artvancouver.net and vanvaf.com.