After a four year hiatus of collaborating with a local artist, the 2023 Richmond Maritime Festival has a new image to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The winning design by Richmond artist Udayana Lugo features the natural beauty of our Pacific Northwest coastal waters, a fishing vessel, boat captain and a whimsical musical mermaid.
The Call for Artists poster contest was launched in May, and 25 artists submitted a sample of their artwork for consideration. The winning artwork will appear on event posters, social media, on-site signage at Britannia Shipyards and other promotional pieces.
The selection panel included representatives of the Richmond Arts Coalition, the Richmond Maritime Festival production team and the City of Richmond.
The 20th annual Richmond Maritime Festival will be held on Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site in Steveston. For more festival details, visit www.richmondmaritimefestival.ca.
About the artist
Born in Russia, Udayana grew up in Mexico and has lived in Italy, England and Canada. A self taught artist, she began illustrating children's books five years ago as a way of reinventing herself. Udayana had previously worked as a product designer and college teacher before becoming a mother.
“Being an illustrator is about telling stories through images,” she said. “I wanted to honour Steveston's Japanese heritage through a nod to Katsushika Hokusai's most famous work, The Great Wave of Kanagawa, although I am not of Japanese descent. I have lived in Steveston for five years and love walking along the river and observing the wildlife. I have often spotted sea lions, so I wanted to include one in the poster. I also walk through Britannia Shipyards with my dog almost every day, and being the Maritime Festival I had to include a boat and a sea captain. The marine wildlife is also from the BC coast, and the mermaid was to give a touch of whimsy.”
For more information on Udayana Lugo, visit https://www.udayana-lugo.com/.