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OpenRoad Toyota Richmond Supra mural Photo : Sebastien Mauroy
ART
The Chairman Is In
CARSON TING
by Lauren Kramer
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Vancouver illustrator Carson Ting is at the top of his game . The Toronto-born transplant cut his teeth working in advertising firms out east before relocating to work at agencies in the Pacific Northwest . In 2017 he founded his own company , Chairman Ting , a name he chose for its connotation of fun and its reminder not to take himself too seriously .
Today he loves the freedom of selecting the clients he wants to work with . They include Skip the Dishes , Mercedes-Benz , Hershey , and the NBA , but Ting has also done work for Snoop Dogg and Kevin Spacey . Last September he illustrated an eye-catching mural on the walls of Richmond ’ s OpenRoad Toyota . You can also see his illustrations in Gastown , near the Steam Clock , in the West End , and on Granville Island at Go Fish .
Ting is a modest guy who is quick to point out the difference between illustrating and artistry , though some would argue his illustrations are indeed works of fine art . “ An illustrator works mostly in 2D and their work has commercial purpose , while artistry is a much broader category that can include sculpture , painting and fine art and can be art for its own sake , with no commercial purpose ,” he says .
OpenRoad Driver caught up with Ting in his West End studio , a comfortable space with a small storefront , a vintage fridge and a chalkboard on the wall with sketches by his seven-year-old daughter . Paraphernalia around his desk bears evidence of some of the illustrations that have coloured his prolific career .