I have had the pleasure of knowing Roan Shankaruk for pretty much my entire life, and throughout that time, what strikes me again and again is just how prolific she is. Roan is an incredibly talented artist in many mediums, from drawing to opera to composition.
Roan is not satisfied with simply having made art, however. It is a running joke between us that she isn’t happy unless she is creating something new, and ideally, she has several projects going at once, often in vastly different mediums. She is a creator of many kinds, just as at home, making fascinatingly complex pen-and-ink drawings as she is composing and performing music. Not only that, she is always willing to experiment with new techniques or to try something completely new. A native Vancouverite, Roan draws inspiration both from local artists – one of her uncles was involved in the local music scene, and Roan has upheld his legacy – and from the global art scene. Her varied tastes are evident in her work, which often touches on several genres at once, masterfully
blending them together in new and innovative ways. She has a particular penchant for blending the mundane and the gothic, resulting in works that seem to simultaneously exist in a heightened emotional reality and yet still feel grounded. Regardless of the
medium she is working in, Roan is an undeniably talented creator.
-Written by her best friend
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Which ’hood are you in?
My ‘hood is East Van! Particularly Commercial Drive, which is where I’ve lived all my life. My unbiased opinion is that it’s the best place in Vancouver, full of amazing, unique cafes (where one can get a lot of composing or painting done, if so inclined), elm-tree-lined hills, Italian delis and second-hand bookstores. The diverse people who live on Commercial Drive are similarly some of the most unique, artistic and passionate in town – even though some of our fashion tastes may turn the heads of those from other areas…
What do you do?
I try to do a little of everything! My ‘day-job’, so to speak, is full-time work in the Vancouver Film and Television scene as a union photo-double, stand-in, or whatever else is required. I am also an opera composer, and spend mostly every other waking moment creating new, original works of theatre. I have composed four full operas so far, and all have been mounted in Canada, one of which being the only ever opera at the Vancouver Fringe Festival! Finally, in the spare moments between all of these other things (I don’t get much sleep), I am an illustrator and graphic novel artist. I bring my art materials with me wherever I go, since I’m always working on something new, and like to keep my hands busy.
On the weekends, you can usually find me busking 1920s-40s music at Granville Island.
What are you currently working on?
I have JUST finished composing my fourth opera, U-29, a horror period piece set on board a U-Boat during WW1. I’ve got at least three other opera ideas coming up next, although operas take a long time to truly “finish,” and I’ll be working on the instrumentation for U-29 for weeks to come.
Where can we find your work?
You can find my composition work on my website and my artwork here. You can also check out my Etsy, where I do art, music, jewelry and dollmaking, all the standard things.
