Photo: Jordon Hon

Emily Chu is a Chinese illustrator and visual artist based on Treaty 6 (Edmonton). Emily's practice includes commercial illustration, murals, storytelling, sketching, and community-arts initiatives.

Emily is the founder and lead organizer of Chinatown's newest LNY Market: Togather Chinatown Arts Festival, and storytelling map project: Chinatown Stories Map. She is also co-organizer of the arts fundraiser project: Chinatown Greetings.

Emily is currently working on a graphic novel about her childhood immigration story to the Canadian prairies in the 90’s, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Recent Awards & Grants:

Top 40 Under 40 (2024 Edify) / Chinatown Impact Awards (2024) / Canada Council for the Arts Grant (2022) / Edmonton Arts Council Artist Trust Fund (2021) / Edmontonton Arts Council Grants (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)

Partial Client List:

CBC / Telus Storyhive / Oilers Group / Reader’s Digest / Loblaws / Chatelaine / Maclean’s Magazine / Orca Books / University of Alberta / Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse (CCASA) / Campus Food Bank / BUMP Mural Festival

Select Public Artworks & Murals:

Edmonton Chinatown Multi-Cultural Centre / Alberta Craft Gallery & Shop / Calgary Devonian Gardens / Michael Phair Park / SNAP / Loblaws Ice District / ATB Financial / Millenium Place (Special Olympics)

Want to get in touch? Please email: heyemilychu@gmail.com

CLIENT LIST
3.7% YEG
AGA (Art Gallery of Alberta)
Alberta Craft Gallery & Shop
Alberta Teachers’ Association Magazine
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)
Alberta Views Magazine
Alberta Worker’s Health Centre
Apple Magazine
ATB Financial
Avenue Magazine Edmonton
Avenue Magazine Calgary
BUMP Mural Festival
Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse (CCASA)
Calgary Immigration Women's Association (CIWA)
Campus Food Bank

Canada Council for the Arts (Governor General's Literary Awards)

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
Chatelaine
Chinese Benevolent Association
Chinatown Transformation Collaborative (CTC)
Citadel Theatre
The City of Edmonton
City of Beaumont (BSRC)
CJSR FM
CrossIron Mills Mall (PARK Experiences)
EATER
Edmonton Arts Council
Edmonton Community Foundation (Legacy In Action)
Edmonton Community Development Company
Edify Magazine
Eighteen Bridges Literary Magzine
Forest Terrace Heights Community League
Fringe Theatre (Chinook Series)
Glass Buffalo Magazine (University of Alberta)
Glass Bookshop
GrainsWest Magazine
Hungry Zine
Kunitz Shoes
Latitude 53
MacEwan University (MAVEN)
Maclean’s Magazine
Michael Phair Park
Millemnium Place / Special Olympics
Multicultural Family Resource Societ (MRFS)
LEAP Magazine
Little Plant Shop
Loblaws
Logic & Lifestyle
Lo Know (Formerly Carto Media)
New Tribe Magazine
Oilers Group
Orca Book Publishers
PARK Experiences
Readers Digest
Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair
Serious Labs Inc.
Servus Credit Union
Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE)
smART (University of Calgary)
SNAP (Society of Northern Alberta Print Artists)
Social Enterprise Fund Publication
Spruce Avenue Community League
Stephen Magazine
Strahcona County (Millenium Place)
Telus Storyhive
The Sprawl
University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre
Vignettes
Vox Media (Eater)
Where Magazine
YEG Startup Awards

AWARDS & GRANTS
2024 - Top 40 Under 40, Edify
2024 - Chinatown Impact Award
2024 - City of Edmonton - Downtown Vibrancy Grant
2023 - 3x3 Illustration Annual No. 20 Professional Show - Honorable Mention
2023 - Edmonton Heritage Council, HCIP Community Impact Project Grant (Chinatown Maps)
2023 - Edmonton Arts Council, Major Project Grant (Chinatown Maps)
2022 - Canada Council for the Arts, Research + Creation Grant (Century Old Home)
2022 - 3x3 Illustration Annual No. 19 Professional Show Winner - Merit Award
2022 - Edmonton Arts Council, Major Project Grant
2021 - Edmonton Artists Trust Fund Award Recipient (EAC)
2021 - Yorath House Artist Residency (EAC/City of Edmonton)
2021 - 3x3 Illustration, Annual No. 18 Professional Show - Honorable Mention
2021 - EAC Individual Artist Grant (Artist Research)
2020 - Alberta Magazine Awards - Nomination
2020 - American Illustration 39 (Chosen - Work/Life Balance)
2020 - American Illustration 39 (Chosen - Envy)
2020 - Edmonton Arts Council Travel Grant
2019 - 3x3 Illustration Annual No. 16 Professional Show Winner - Merit Award
2019 - Edmonton Arts Council CIP Artist Grant
2018 - Edmonton Arts Council Travel Grant
2018 - Edmonton Arts Council Artist Project Grant
2018 - Capital Awards, Award of Excellence, Poster (EAC)
2016 - #YEGCanvas 2 Public Art Selections
Applied Arts Illustration Award (Young Blood)
smART Branding Contest Winner (University of Calgary)
Visual Arts Alberta Scholarship ChalkWalk Street Art - First Place (ACAD)

COMMUNITY
2023-Present - Togather Chinatown Art Fair
2018 - 2022 - The Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair Organizer
2020, 2021 - Alberta Book Publishing Awards Design (Jury)
2020 - StayhomeanddrawYEG
2019 - OnLocationYEG Public Sketchclub
2018 - GDC Portfolio Reviewer (Volunteer)
2018 - GDC Artist Mentorship / Sexual Assault Poster (Volunteer)
2016-2018 - Edmonton Digital Arts College, Illustration Instructor
2017 - Metro Education, Painting Instructor

MURALS
2024 - Michael Phair Park (104 St & Jasper Ave)
2024 - SNAP (Society of Northern Alberta Print Artists)
2024 - University of Alberta, Old Arts Building
2023 - Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuser (CCASA)
2023 - Forest Terrace Heights Community Centre
2023 - BUMP Mural Festival, Calgary
2023 - Alberta Craft Council, Edmonton
2023 - Millenium Place, Strathcona County
2022/2023 - Edmonton Chinatown Multicultural Centre
2022 - Loblaws, Ice District Edmonton
2022 - Spruce Avenue Community League, Edmonton
2021 - Beaumont Sports & Recreation Centre
2021 - ATB Mural Red Deer North Gaetz
2020 - ATB Mural Edmonton Corporate

BOOKS
Shape The Future, Orca Think Series (March 2023)
On-LocationYEG (2018)

PRESS

CKUA Radio - Arts & Culture (2025)
CTV Morning Edmonton - Togather Chinatown Arts Festival (2025)
CTV Edmonton - Togather Chinatown Art Fair (2024)
City of Edmonton, Stories Team (2024)
CKUA Artist Feature (2024)
CBC Edmonton AM - Togather Chinatown Art Fair (2024)
Global News - Togather Chinatown Art Fair (2024)
CBC Our Edmonton - Alberta Craft Mural (2023)
YEGPeople Interview (2022)
Keys 2 The City Interview (2022)
Edify Artists At Work (2022)
Global Edmonton Chinatown Greetings Feature (2021)
Edify Feature September Issue (2021)
City of Edmonton #RestlessYEG (2021)
EAC #Iamyegarts (2021)
Global News Edmonton Interview for #StayhomeanddrawYEG (2020)
CBC Radio EdmontonAM Interview (2020)
Global News Feature #OnLocationYEG (2019)
CBC RadioActive Interview #OnLocationYEG (2019)
Women in Canadian Design (WICD) Interview (2019)
Gifted Gift Catalog, by Edmonton Made (2018)
EAC Grant Recipient Interview (2018)
Avenue Magazine Edmonton Artist Interview (2018)
Where Magazine Featured Artist Spotlight (2017)
That's So Maven Podcast Interview (August, 2017)
Rosa & Lilium #GetReal Interview (March, 2017)
HYMN Graphic Novels / Kickstarter Funded (2015)

MARKETS
Togather Chinatown Art Fair
Oddbird Art & Craft Fair
The Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair
Market Collective
Interstellar Rodeo
Curated. Market
Hand2Hand Market
Undercover Books
Whyte Avenue Art Walk
Calgary Comic Expo
Edmonton Comic Expo
OnTheSpot Pop-Ups (Latitide 53)
HardCopy Zine Fair
Calgary Stampede Western Showcase
Craft Banque (St. Albert Art Gallery)
Make It! Edmonton
124 Grand Market
The Witchery Market
Experience Jasper Avenue

STOCKISTS
Tix on the Square
Royal Alberta Museum
Gifted Catelog 2018 (Edmonton Made)
Gifted Catelog 2019 (Edmonton Made)

UPCOMING EVENTS AND MARKET LINEUP

Oddbird Art & Craft Fair
Dec 6-8
Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre
8426 Gateway Blvd NW

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