About Riia

Riia Lane Talve was born at B.C. Children’s Hospital (Canada) in 1985 after her mother had been flown down from Prince George B.C. by air ambulance. She spent the first seven months of her life in the special care nursery.

Riia began drawing at an early age and has continued to do so into adulthood. She attended the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design for four years and much of her artwork reflects her life experiences and promotes inclusiveness, along with an awareness of those on the fringes of our society. She has had numerous showings of her art, been interviewed a number of times for both television and print publications and donated her original art to charitable organizations. Her artwork appears in the book Success Stories from the Frontline. She has done numerous speaking engagements and has four forthcoming presentations to be made to educators in one of western Canada’s largest school districts. Recently Riia was a Committee Member and Presenter at the Health and Wellbeing conference in Vancouver, sponsored by the University of British Columbia.

Riia was born prematurely at a weight of one pound thirteen ounces. Shortly after her birth she suffered a grade 3 brain hemorrhage, which resulted in learning disabilities later in life. The hemorrhage also effected her fine motor skills and it was suggested by the doctors that she would have difficulty doing tasks that required those skills, specifically mentioned was artwork. She was diagnosed at the age of fifteen with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and at the age of eighteen suffered a breakdown, which resulted in her being hospitalized for a month.

Despite the odds, she has overcome these obstacles and is presently pursuing a career as a fine artist and public speaker.

Artist Statement: Why I Am an Artist

I regularly paint self-portraits as a reflection of growing up with learning disabilities, and OCD. I often feeling different and alone, which I try to convey in my art.

I also incorporate everyday objects, and use them as metaphors. I hope to express through my art that people shouldn’t hide in the dark if they are a little different. Everyone has their own reason for producing artwork; ultimately it is a way of conveying one’s thoughts and feelings to the rest of the world through the most accessible of the human senses, visual imagery.