Laiwan
was born in Zimbabwe of Chinese parents. She immigrated to Canada
in 1977 to leave the war in Rhodesia. She is an interdisciplinary
artist and writer based in Vancouver, BC. A graduate of Emily
Carr College of Art and Design, Laiwan started the OR Gallery
in Vancouver in 1983. She has since initiated various curatorial
projects in Canada and Zimbabwe, participated in a variety of
group and solo exhibitions and was an activist in community-based
organizing. Her writing can be found in arts and community publications
and her book distance
of distinct vision
was published by the Western Front in 1992. In September 1998
Articule Gallery in Montreal released a publication examining
her bookwork and collages.
From
1994 to 1997, Laiwan was editor of Front
Magazine at the Western
Front. She recently received her Master of Fine Arts and taught
sessionally at the School for Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser
University.
Her
multi-media installation "Machinate: a projection in two
movements" was first installed at the Video In Studios,
Vancouver (May 1999). It traveled to Gallery 101, Ottawa (September
1999) and to Halifax in March 2000. You can currently visit
the website at www.gallery101.org/machinate.htm.
V-Tape,
Toronto and Video Out, Vancouver distribute her 1998 video Remotely
in Touch.
QUARTET
FOR THE YEAR 4698 or 5760: improvisation for 4 projectors
will travel to the Sound Symposium 2000 Festival in Newfoundland
to be installed at the Art Gallery of Newfoundland & Labrador
from July 5-15, 2000.