About the founder

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Angel Strehlen

The Founder: The Call of Legacy: Art & Advocacy

Born in Vancouver in 1960, Angel Strehlen is a self-taught artist and calligrapher whose work is a living dialogue with the West Coast tradition. Rooted in a distinguished family lineage—counting Joe Average (Order of Canada) and the Tebbutt family of artists and architects among her kin—Angel was raised in an environment where creativity was the primary language.

Her current calligraphic style is deeply influenced by the meditative "white writing" of Mark Tobey and the philosophical depth of Jack Wise, yet its most profound driver is personal. In 2023, Angel lost her only son, Chandis Adam (aka Adam Sun), a brilliant self-taught musician and artist, to the fentanyl crisis. Adam’s struggle with schizophrenia and his death within government-supported housing became the catalyst for a new chapter of both art and activism.

Today, Angel uses the precision and fluidity of calligraphy to navigate the complexities of grief and systemic failure. Through the Adam Sun Hope Sanctuary Society, she channels this creative energy into empowering the next generation of men and boys. By integrating the arts with vocational training and mentorship, Angel honors Adam’s memory, proving that even from the deepest tragedies, a path toward hope and specialized mastery can be forged.

Each stroke of the brush is a testament to resilience, a tribute to a son’s lost song, and a call to action for the community.