Often existing within commercial spaces such as convention booths and comic book stores, fan art and comic art are typically produced and circulated within systems of short-term exchange. Off Hours presents a moment of pause — a space for these forms of visual culture to take shape, exist, and be encountered as artworks in their own right. With the increasing disappearance of third spaces, Off Hours turns attention toward what might be called "third time": a span of time not designated for work or obligation. Through this exhibition, two artists reflect on how their off-hours become a site of exploration, allowing them to pursue personal creative endeavours beyond their careers.
 

Blurring the lines between leisure, labour, autonomy and entrepreneurship, the driving motivation to create in their off-hours for these artists differs yet remain inextricably similar in nature. Despite the commercial economies of derivative art, Wildreamz employs fan art as a form of leisure and research methodology to investigate certain subcultures' aesthetics as a way of visual inquiry, to aid her in her working life and gain clarity of what she is drawn to as an artist. In contrast, Bit_ter uses sequential storytelling to process his own experiences of gaining agency in the midst of circumventing authority; his main character, Lambent/Noel, emerges as a symbol of grit and courage, embodying the artist's personal journey while offering readers a narrative of perseverance in the face of adversity.
 

Together, derivative and sequential art serve their own particular functions for the artists of Off Hours. The exhibition not only spotlights these visual cultures but also allows the artists to reflect on their own motivations and creative processes. In this span of "third time" and through the temporary creation of a shared exhibition space, Off Hours affirms fan art and comic art as practices worthy of sustained attention — not just consumption.