Workshop: Annyen Lam

I am an artist.

My practice has a few branches: creating and exhibiting original, one-off pieces (Including Tiny Blades Project), making multiples (prints), and then partnering with other small businesses to offer in-person workshops.

I started Tiny Blades Project by cutting something out of paper every day for 365 days. Initially running as a year-long endeavour, I’ve since cut over 760 pieces to date.

I was born and raised in Ottawa (roughly 550km away) and moved to Toronto at age 17 to attend OCAD University. For short periods of time I’ve also lived in New York and Hong Kong.

I heard a saying once: “people build small towns wherever they go”. I’m fortunate to have been able to travel, and have my own ways of making myself feel at home anywhere, but Toronto has a special place in my heart from the experiences that I’ve had here and the unique energy that the city embodies.

I’ve recently had several clients approach me about making portraits of their homes. Each project was a lovely experience; for some clients I got to hear some history and personal stories with the house. I also got a sense of how much they loved their space. Now I pay even more attention to vernacular architecture when I’m out on my bike.

HOUSES – PAPER CUT [Originals], Annyen Lam.

I’m most productive in the morning or evening, so I wake up as early as I can, work with something in the background (Netflix, podcasts, or streamers on Twitch), and then take some time the afternoon, when productivity wanes, to do other things (bike errands, work out, read). In the evening I’ll either teach or work with dinner in between.

If we were to trace it back to my early childhood, I was a huge bookworm; I loved interacting with different book forms, which probably informed an early love for paper. I’d also go through popup books and try to figure out how it was put together.

Paper is seen as a humble medium; it’s been around for centuries and is found virtually everywhere. So there’s something magical about putting it under a slightly different light – in my case, cutting away at it, or exploring its sculptural possibilities – that underscores the fundamental strangeness of our everyday objects and surroundings.

A giant pine tree. A few springs ago, baby birds were hatched and raised right in front of me so I got to see them (and their mother) all the time.

I hear the neighbour’s dog barking and the bell from the school around the corner.

I smell the tea from across my desk.

An equilateral triangle.

I enjoy the thrill of heights. My first bungee jump was 233 metres (765 feet). It definitely brings you into the present moment!