Meet Vanny!
My name is Vanny Channal and for the first 33 years of my life, I allowed myself to be a victim of circumstances. Because I was poor, because I was raised on welfare, because my parents were Cambodian Refugees, these are the reasons the world had me believing that my existence didn't matter. But because I was poor, because I was raised on welfare, because my parents were Cambodian Refugees, these are also the things that have given me the ability to do what I am doing.
As an artist, my medium is scrap metal sculpting. Scrap metal because the story of each of these individual pieces is also my story. My story of overcoming circumstances, my story of redemption, my story of taking something that outlived its purpose and giving it a new chance at life. And the most recent chapter to my story is being written in a metal fabrication shop in Denver, Colorado. So please follow me as we both anticipate how the story unfolds.
How did your business come to exist?
My business came into existence from overcoming. In order to become an artist, I had to overcome self doubt. I had to learn how not to listen to others. I had to learn how to believe in myself when no one else believed in me. I had to put in long hours of not getting paid. I had to hold down a full-time job while still working on my art 30 hours a week. I had to sacrifice sleep and time from my family in order to be in the position I am in today.
What are you known for?
I am known as "the metal guy". I am known for making large scale sculptures with crazy details. I am known for using small little everyday things like padlocks, spatulas, and bike chains. I am known for my patience because I spend 300+ hours on my large projects. I am known as the guy who will stop at nothing until he gets it right!
What is your dream project?
My dream project is the Naga. That is an ancient mythical creature in Cambodian history. It is believed that the Naga gave birth to the first Cambodian civilization. Not only is that my dream project, my dream is to have the Naga sculpture that I created be installed in Long Beach, California, the city where I was born and raised in.
What is your favorite part of your job?
What I love most about my career as a full time artist is that it gives me the chance to bring who I am into the world. I feel that my art, my work defines who I am because art is individuality. The way I cut, or shape, or fuse something is the way only I will do it. I tell people all the time that if we were to put two craftsmen of the same trade or field into two seperate rooms with the same material, equipment, excetera they would walk out with two completely different projects. Because how someone feels, their experiences, the things they bring to the table are affected immensely when it comes to creating art. And because I am creating art, every project I complete, I am leaving traces of who I am on this planet.
If you had a choice between two superpowers, being invisible or flying, which would you choose?
If I had the choice of being invisible or flying, I would definitely choose the ability to fly. Invisibility I don't believe is a super power at all. And I can say that because for a large portion of my life, I've been invisible. I've walked into rooms where people wouldn't even notice me. I've kept quiet and to myself till the point that my opinion no longer mattered. So from my experience, being invisible is not appealing to me at all. Flying on the other hand is liberation. It's FREE! Being able to fly is being in full control of where we are going. Being able to fly is to have direction, destination, and a clear objective. So I definitely choose to fly.
Get in touch with Vanny
Instagram: @steel_n_pacific
Website: https://steelnpacific.godaddysites.com/
Facebook: Steel ‘n’ Pacific
Email: steelnpacific@gmail.com
If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Ashley at ashley@westandmainhomes.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!
