Artful Living

Raekha Merner

Attention aspiring artists and designers, the journey to recognition is (almost) over . Thanks to places like Artlife, the road just keeps getting shorter.

Dubbed, “the people’s gallery”, Artlife, and its clothing boutique extension, Freshlife, are places for local artists and designers to showcase their works. The gallery, which opened in May 2008, has built a reputation among the city’s underground purveyors of art and design as an energetic, outgoing and accessible gallery, and as a major contributor to the new art movement happening in Calgary.

“Artlife is an opportunity for me to give back to the art community,” notes Tele Asencio, owner, artist, designer, and curator. “This is a gallery for the people…where friends can show their art in a professional setting.”

Gallery doors are open to all local aspiring artists and designers, lending way to shows that feature a spectrum of artistic mediums, including clothing. To date, Artlife has hosted a handful of fashion installments for labels such as Nudie Jeans and Calgary’s Build A Boy. Showcasing still-models posed as live canvases, and collection pieces suspended from wires attached to the ceiling, viewers leave wondering where art stops and fashion begins — a question all too easily answered by Asencio: “Fashion is art.”

The inception of Freshlife in December 2008 followed the success and positive response to Artlife’s fashion exhibits. Conveniently located in what was the empty space next door, the opening of Freshlife established a permanent home for “wearable art” in this bohemian locale. Freshlife currently carries designs from local labels such as Split Pea Vintage, Duality, and Asencio’s own label, Artlife, with more designers joining the cause each day.