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Spectrum Bay News 9

Artist Emily Tan says she hopes her paintings will help inspire people to be their true, authentic self.

TAMPA, Fla. — Emily Tan begins every piece of art not with a paintbrush, but with a saw. Instead of buying canvases, Tan makes her own from scratch, beginning with chopping up planks of wood — a process that she says helps make her abstract art feel more authentic. “I feel like there’s not as much intention behind it because I didn’t sweat and put it together and cut and re-cut,” Tan said of using premade canvases. “Every time you start something you have a little bit of an idea. But I think kind of letting go and letting it tell you what it’s going to be is the main start of my process.”

Tan has been an artist her whole life. She started taking art classes when she was in kindergarten. But Tan said the pastime soon became a form of therapy as she navigated being one of two Asian students at her school in New York.

WEDU PBS

Tampa artist Emily Tan explores her Asian-American identity through her multidisciplinary artwork.

Painter and performance artist Emily Tan of Tampa uses the arts to express her subconscious and explore her Asian-American identity.

Honeysuckle Mag

Hi Emily, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. Weedsday Playlist: Artist and DJ Emily Tan Shares 5 songs for your next dance party…
Emily Tan is an accomplished abstract painter, live performance artist, and DJ with over seven years of professional experience. Graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Tampa, she has also distinguished herself as an art curator, creative director, and social media expert. Tan’s artistic expertise spans a diverse range of mediums, including acrylics, house paint, dye, found objects, and digital tools, often integrating music, dance, and yogic movement into her live performance work. Her art, characterized by organic abstractions, employs patterns and repetition to evoke a sense of psychological ease and meditation in viewers.