Christina Kwan is an Atlanta-based artist and blogger known also for her signature abstract floral works on 
paper. For Kwan, the natural world is her artistic oyster, and you can find yourself getting lost in her rhythmic markings and luscious waves of color.
Her work is smile-inducing, meditative, colorful and the perfect remedy to a rainy day or bad mood. If you’re not familiar with her works, don’t worry — you can get your fill at two upcoming shows, or by popping into one of several boutiques and eateries around town, including Coco + Mischa and Snackboxe Bistro.
Here, Christina talks to CommonCreativ about her morning ritual, the power of passion, and her sage advice to other artists.
CommonCreativ: First, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Christina Kwan: I’m originally from South Florida. I’ve lived in Atlanta for 8 years. Outside of making art, I love all kinds of urban exploration… I live for finding unique gems anywhere I go, and I’m a huge foodie. A lot of people know me for my blog and screen name Tide & Bloom because of all my food lovin’ adventures. I also worked at Anthropologie for four years so I used to do a lot more style and outfit posts. Those are definitely my next two loves in life aside from art: food and style.
Christina Kwan // Photo by Lindsey LaRue Photography
CC: Your work has a striking bold-yet-delicate quality. What inspires you?
CK: The most immediate reference is the natural world. I’m always chasing the feeling of those moments when you’re truly awestruck by nature — like seeing a tree being overwhelmed by an enormous amount of blooms or looking at the Cliffs of Moher in real life for the first time. Beneath that there are a lot of ideas that I’m still sorting through. I think most art is autobiographical, and mine is certainly the rule and not the exception. The human experience is a tightrope act, sliding up and down a scale between chaos and peace. Each mark is but one moment of that experience, and a collection of marks is the journey towards one side or the other.
CC: Tell me about your experience transitioning from canvas to also creating murals and large-scale work.
CK: I’ve only recently started creating large-scale work, so I still have tons to learn. But I love doing it because it forces me to think outside of the parameters of my living room studio. It’s been incredible for my development because people can now visualize the potential of my mark. The businesses that had the vision to trust that I could accomplish these works — Snackboxe Bistro, Coco+Mischa, LB Brand, and soon The Sentimentalist — have led the way for a new audience to see my work in a larger context. More than ever, I’m receiving inquiries about commissions based off these projects and people in Atlanta are familiar with my style because of the impact these projects made. It’s also been a game-changer for me personally because I know now that I can rise to the occasion of any artistic challenge. 
CC: What’s your process?
CK: My preferred process is to work in the morning so that it feels like a part of my daily ritual – make coffee, eat avocado toast, sit with some work and then react. I don’t like to have a specific idea in mind, but I do make sure I have multiple pieces (in progress and blank) to work on in case I find a good rhythm. Sometimes I end up hating what’s happening and then I step away and work on some admin stuff. But if I find a groove then I just start creating a whole bunch of new pieces at once. The most important thing for me is just to start laying down color on a blank sheet of paper.
CC: How did you develop this style?
CK: The format of my work is more or less a result of circumstance. I don’t have much space or much time, so that results in a lot of gestural works on paper that I can complete within a few sessions. In terms of my mark and my aesthetic, I’ve been painting and drawing all my life, so I think it has evolved naturally as I’ve evolved. The combination of large fluid gestures and tiny controlled points of interest feels right for who I am right now.
CC: You’ve talked in the past about no longer being able to deny the power of your passion. Tell me about that.
Photo by Lindsey LaRue Photography
CK: Anyone who has a creative streak in them goes through this — coming to terms with what that means in the big picture of your life. Until I was in college, I wasn’t able to see this as part of “what I’m going to be when I grow up.” It was a hobby, an interest, a passion that I could indulge in, but it was never the priority or a real career option. It’s been less of a leap and more like a hop, skip, and a step. What keeps me going is the outpouring of support of friends, family, and just as importantly strangers. When a stranger — who has no connection to me other than simply being a viewer — tells me that my work moves them, that really makes my day and makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile. The only way more strangers will know about my work is if I keep creating it and putting it out there. So that’s what I’m doing now.
CC: What advice would you give to other artists?
CK: Artist advice is hard to give because I think everyone faces individual challenges depending on their circumstance and personality. Some things I would probably tell myself, and do have to keep telling myself: don’t lose sight of what makes you unique, accept what you cannot change, and allow yourself time to feel things. Always be open to opportunities and an outside perspective, but stay true to your own voice and path.
CC: What has been one of your proudest moments?
CK: Seeing the panels I made for Snackboxe Bistro up on the walls for the first time. I had never created panels of that scale before, let alone for a commission. The amount of faith that [owners] Thip and Vanh had in my abilities, to trust me with something so crucial to representing their vision… it meant the world to me. And it opened my mind to really thinking about my creative capabilities, particularly for public spaces.
CC: What do you have coming up?
CK: I’m honored to be included in upcoming shows at Kai Lin Art and Anne Irwin Fine Art, in addition to a new project in which I’ll be painting directly on the walls of a special store near and dear to my heart – the Sentimentalist.
CC: What are some of your favorite art happenings, organizations or people in Atlanta?
CK: Happenings, organizations, and people?! Both the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center and Flux Projects have created some of the best art happenings I’ve experienced in Atlanta. As far as people, there are so many that I love and admire! Gerardo Reyes, an art dealer and framer, is one of my favorite people right now because he gives me critical feedback in such a caring and considerate way that doesn’t patronize me. Finding someone like that to show your work to is invaluable and I’m so grateful for his support. [He] and others who advocate for my work on a regular basis — like Melissa Gallagher of Coco + Mischa — I feel so lucky to have in my corner.
CC: How would you describe the local arts scene?
CK: Emerging. Atlanta’s art scene is beautifully open; there is a lot of opportunity for anyone interested in being involved. However, I still feel the city is lacking is proper patronage, job opportunities, and overall funding. The culture of supporting the arts is still in its infancy and will take some more time to fully bloom. Unfortunately, other cities of similar size and smaller are surpassing us, but I still have hope that Atlanta will find its unique voice because there are too many determined individuals committed to this vision for it not to.
See more of Christina’s work on her portfolio site, Instagram and Facebook.
