Canal Cheong Jagerroos
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
Canal Cheong Jagerroos is a painter based in Helsinki, originally from Macau. She grew up surrounded by Portuguese tiles, Chinese temples, and neon, and you can still see that mix in her abstract work. She works calligraphy and text into the canvases, and builds installations like Floating Island.
We talked about how all of that found its way into her painting, how a single mark can be a word and a drawing at once, where nature and the city meet, and what she wants to make next.
Q: How did growing up in Macau shape the way you started making art?
A: Growing up in Macau felt a bit like living inside a collage. Portuguese tiles, Chinese temples, neon signs, casinos, old alleyways—everything seemed to overlap. I think that taught me early on that different stories, languages, and visual cultures can exist in the same space. My work still comes from that feeling of layering things together.
Q: You've lived between Asia, Europe, and beyond. How has moving between these places affected your work?
A: Moving around has made me comfortable with being slightly out of place—which is actually a great position for making art. You notice details that locals take for granted. Every move adds another lens through which I look at the world, and those lenses tend to sneak into the work.
Q: How do elements like calligraphy and text come together while you're working?
A: Sometimes words arrive first, sometimes the image does. Calligraphy sits somewhere in between. I like how text can be read, but it can also simply be seen. A single mark can behave like a sentence, a drawing, or both at the same time.
Q: How do you approach the relationship between nature and urban environments in your work?
A: I'm fascinated by the fact that nature never really disappears—it just negotiates with the city. A weed growing through concrete can be as powerful as a forest. My work often looks at those moments where the natural and the built environment quietly share the same space.
Q: "Floating Island" has been ongoing for years. How do you keep developing it?
A: I think of it as less of a project and more of a traveling companion. It changes because I change. New places, conversations, materials, and questions keep feeding it. The island keeps floating, and I keep following where it wants to go.
Q: What does transience mean in your work?
A: Transience is probably the one collaborator that never leaves. Cities change, landscapes shift, memories fade, and identities evolve. Rather than resisting that, I'm interested in what becomes visible because things are temporary.
Q: You've also worked on collaborative projects. What changes for you when you work with others?
A: Collaboration is a good cure for artistic stubbornness. Suddenly the work isn't only about your own ideas. You have to listen, adapt, and sometimes let go of your favorite plan. Often the most interesting results come from those unexpected detours.
Q: Where is your work heading at the moment?
A: Hopefully somewhere I haven't fully mapped yet. Right now I'm interested in creating works that feel more open, where different cultures, landscapes, and stories can meet.
