PXR2024
2024 IBPOC Fellows

Chisom Akomas is a Nigerian actor and musician residing in the unceded land of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation. Born in Nigeria, he moved with his family to Coquitlam, Canada at the age of 7. He graduated from the Film Acting Conservatory at New Image College in 2021, and has since been featured in various short films and a feature film. In his music ventures he writes, engineers, and performs his music around the lower mainland. Chisom uses his artistic mediums to explore themes of spirituality, individuality, and freedom. He hopes to share his journey of self discovery with others whilst making the world a better place.

Hi, I’m Percy, I’m a game designer based out of Calgary with a specialization in XR and neurogamification. I have a talent for creating user-centric experiences which promote positive relations amongst people. Currently I work as a game designer for a company called highstreet but I have also worked with companies like Twitch Rivals, ProjectHope, GamersOutreach and BisectHosting before! My disciplines include game design, UX/UI design, level design and technical art.

Cyril Chen is an animation artist and designer based in Treaty 3 (Hamilton ON) and Treaty 4 (Regina, SK). They are interested in encouraging a thoughtful sense of play and lightheartedness in their independent work, which often delves into gothic, metaphysical, romantic, and spiritually transcendent imagery.

Kayli Chow works with new and experimental technology in her artistic practice. She was born in Hong Kong and is currently based in Toronto, Canada. Utilising new technologies such as LIDAR scanning, AI, 3D printing and game engines, she explores the relationship between creativity, technology, humans and nature, with an emphasis on an interactive experience between the art piece and the audience. She has been working within the realm of art and technology for 3 years, and has a background in Computer Science. Chow is currently a second year student of the Digital Futures program at OCAD university, and has been featured in the Digital Futures Open Show in the years 2022 and 2023.

I’m a Chilean artist living in Kamloops, BC. I’m currently studying Visual Arts at TRU. I also have a Concept Art Diploma I did two years ago, and now I’m exploring my options to keep developing my artistic skills. I would love to be able to use my creativity skills to get involved more in the art scene here in Canada.

Dave is a game developer and Master’s student at the University of Alberta. As the co-founder of COG Studios in Edmonton, Dave is passionate about creating immersive horror and thriller experiences. He presented his research on interactive digital entertainment at AIIDE 2024 and completed the Game Development Certificate at the University of Alberta, honing his skills in game design. His studio recently published their first game, Infernal Bloodrush on Steam and got positive reception.

Felicia Holmes is a half Filipino theatre artist based in Kingston who performs in many mediums including, voice, Shakespeare, movement, puppetry, improvisation and more. Originally from Toronto, she got her start performing in her school’s production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing at 10-years-old. Ever since then, Felicia has been chasing all forms of presentation to work with fellow artists and audiences to create a better world for everyone. She graduated from the Music Theatre program at St. Lawrence College and Queen’s University in 2023. Felicia’s thankful for all the amazing opportunities she’s had recently: Theatre Orangeville’s Boys Girls and Other Mythological Creatures (Abbey), Domino’s As You Like It (Phebe), Inclusive Comedy’s Sunday Night Live (Improv), Blue Canoe’s High Society (Liz Imbrie), and Sooth Shivers with Kick and Push.

Hunyah Irfan is a content creator with a community development background. HunyahTravels is a YouTube channel where Hunyah shares her experiences of food and travel. Hunyah is passionate about community work currently studying settlement counseling. Hunyah is also a disabled creative who enjoys cooking as well as facilitating on different topics in the community.

Farrah Liu is a Toronto-based critic, cultural worker, and content creator. She has worked closely with MUBI, Sony Pictures, Toronto International Film Festival, Reel Asian Film Festival, the Academy of Canadian Television and Cinema, Cinema Scope, and Cinema Studies Institute at University of Toronto. She is currently the President at Cinema Studies Student Union at University of Toronto. Farrah is academically interested in psychoanalytic film theory, eroticism, and operatic medium specificity. Presently, she is completing her BA at the University of Toronto, specializing in Cinema Studies and minoring in Italian Studies.

Jose Macasinag is a queer Filipino artist based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) whose interdisciplinary work merges digital art and craft. Inspired by nature and ecological interdependence, he explores themes of sustainability and envisions alternative futures through mixed reality technology, light, and experimental audiovisual production techniques. With a deep care for the planet, Jose is interested in building collaborations that may one day contribute to solutions for the ecological crisis. He has created public art installations with organizations such as STEPS Public Art, Chinook Blast, N!ght L!ght festival, and Beakerhead. Jose is currently completing his undergraduate studies at Alberta University of the Arts, majoring in Media Arts and Digital Fabrication.

Ghazal Majidi is an interdisciplinary new media artist and filmmaker from Tehran, currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Her body of work spans 3D animation, XR, video game, audiovisual, and film. Distorting conventional narratives, Majidi explores the coexistence of dissonants— the digital vs. the physical, the absurd vs. the sensible, and
the mundane vs. the extraordinary. Magical realism is a common genre in her works, probing questions about the nature of memories, dreams, and reality. Her works have
been showcased at film festivals and galleries around the world, including Vienna Shorts, Mutek AE, Brussels Independent Film Festival, MONSTRA Lisbon Animated Film Festival, and Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin, among others. Majidi holds a Bachelor of Architecture and is currently finishing her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Simon Fraser University.

Zoe Marín is an Argentine-American theatre artist and comedian who is based in Toronto. She has a BFA in Theatre from York University. Select directing credits: GRINGAS (First Born Theatre), Souffle (Theatre of the Beat/ Glitter Pop Productions), Internet Sensation (Paprika Theatre Festival), Thistlepatch (Alumnae Theatre). Select assistant directing credits: What the Constitution Means to Me (Soulpepper Theatre, Nightwood Theatre), 1184 (Phoenix Arts Productions, Aga Khan). Comedy credits: Small Friend Tall Friend: Do You Think You’re Better Than Me?, performed at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Toronto Fringe, and Hamilton Fringe (Critics’ Pick) + Small Friend Tall Friend: Take a Proper Gander (The Theatre Centre, Comedy is Art Festival).

Zoe is First Born Theatre’s Artistic Producer and the co-creator of sketch-comedy troupe Small Friend Tall Friend.

She loves: horror, comedy, music, technology, politics, and pop culture, and hopes you see that in her work.

Kahani Ploessl is a generative artist fascinated by the realms between physical and digital, natural and technological. Exploring the glitch, Kahani’s work asks what is the natural, organic expression of digital spaces. Whether it be the general internet sphere, extended reality, or traditional concept art, Kahani aims to dismantle and to re-generate. Furthermore, as an Indian artist, Kahani draws parallels between the cosmic philosophy of Hinduism and the liberated, new embodiment of digital dimensions and technological transformation.

I’m a 3D/2D artist based in Toronto. My main focus is children’s media but I’m currently learning Unreal Engine and looking to expand my animation skills to video games!

Mike Yi Ren is a game designer based in Montreal, Canada. His portfolio includes game design projects for Behaviour Interactive, Ubisoft, Netease, and more. His independent games have garnered attention from top media outlets, including Rock Paper Shotgun, Kotaku, and Vice. Prior to Montreal, Mike honed his craft in both Shanghai and New York City, bringing a global perspective to his creative work.

B Roett is a multidisciplinary artist who uses their background in social justice media and virtual production to advocate for unique new media storytelling. Fascinated by the intersection of craft, tech, and community building, Roett uses a variety of media to explore important issues, as well as educate through design, and ensure that safe and supportive spaces are created for those who want to participate. B aims to dismantle the systems that disproportionately disadvantage marginalized communities by creating databases of information that better inform the choices made by developers, designers, and consumers. In 2023, Roett graduated from the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Media Production program, and has since participated in the City of Toronto Artist Mentorship Program, the Discover U X ROM Art Leadership Program, BAO’s Professional Practices for 2SLGBTQIA+ Artists Program, and the VIBE Arts Emerging Artists Roster.

Sarah Hin Ching U 余衍晴 is a Chinese-Canadian dance artist and choreographer, whose training spans a wide range of styles, including contemporary, breaking, hip-hop, and ballet. Her practice centers on two key intentions: (1) fostering a cross-pollination between contemporary dance and street dance, and (2) exploring the integration of new media tools—such as AI editing, machine learning, real-time animation, and mixed-reality (AR) applications—into performance-making.
My work has been presented by Dancing on the Edge (Vancouver), National Arts Centre, Capsule: Video series (Ottawa), The Dance Centre (Vancouver), NewWorks (Vancouver), REvolver(Vancouver), DanceWorks (Toronto), Toes For Dance (Toronto), Skampede (Victoria), Free Flow Dance Theatre (Saskatoon), Good Women Dance(Edmonton) among others. In 2022, I received the Professional Performing Artist Award from British Columbia Arts Council and have recently received Professional Development award to train under bboy Savage Rock in the art of breaking. I been awarded residencies at Circuit est (Montreal), Dance Arts Institute (Toronto), Impulse Theatre (Victoria), City of Port Coquitlam, ArtStarts (Vancouver), and Plastic Orchid Factory. Other notable performing credits include Dancing on the Edge 2019 with Danse Carpe Diem/Emmanuel Jouthe (Montreal) and Nuit Blanche 2021 with Jackie Latendresse (Saskatoon). I graduated Simon Fraser University in 2021 with a BFA in dance and kinesiology.

Suchiththa Wickremesooriya (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, arts-administrator and (twice) Dora nominated producer who recently appeared in a radical reimagining of Jesus Christ Superstar by Saccha Dennis. He is known for work that is physical and for theatre that includes the Deaf and Disabled communities. Notable roles: Ariel (The Tempest – Citadel Theatre), Kamal (Bombay Black – Alberta Theatre Projects) and George (3 Men in a Boat – Guild Festival Theatre).

Outside of the arts, he enjoys raising his son alongside his wife, growing as many fruits and vegetables as he can manage, and volunteering with a variety of charities that support vulnerable populations.

Suchiththa’s goal as an artist is to tell stories that others aren’t considering, and to shed light in dark places so that we can bring things out into the open. He believes that peace can only be found in the light and facing the uncomfortable realities that we all live in.

Isaiah is a longtime visual artist and passionate video game enthusiast currently studying Game Development at Queens University. He actively participates in game jams and enjoys creating innovative gaming experiences. With a strong foundation in both design and technical aspects of game development, he has created numerous indie projects. Isaiah also has experience as a software designer and developer through his time at Yuja Inc. In his spare time, he enjoys digital painting and animation.

MelVee X is a triple threat – she’s a spoken word poet, burlesque dancer and visual artist who’s shared her work across Canada – Turtle Island for the last eight years. She’s CEO of MVX STUDIOS – a multidisciplinary hub for bold and empowered artistic expression based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary AB).

It is her vision and practice to cultivate spaces for unapologetic storytelling, particularly from underserved and marginalized communities that have been historically silenced. MelVee’s work is rooted in her own experiences as a mixed race Black woman who thrives at the intersections and implosions of multiple identities. Yet somehow, she makes the pieces fit.
The struggle is real and the resistance has never looked so good.