director
Jason Lewis
[Director]
Jason Edward Lewis is a digital media theorist, poet, and software designer. He founded Obx Laboratory for Experimental Media, where he conducts research/creation projects exploring computation as a creative and cultural material. Lewis is deeply committed to developing intriguing new forms of expression by working on conceptual, critical, creative and technical levels simultaneously. He is the University Research Chair in Computational Media and the Indigenous Future Imaginary as well Professor of Computation Arts at Concordia University. Lewis was born and raised in northern California, and currently lives in Montreal.
Lewis co-directs Abundant Intelligences, the Indigenous Futures Research Centre, the Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace research network, and the Skins Workshops on Aboriginal Storytelling and Video Game Design. He directed the Initiative for Indigenous Futures and co-directed the Indigenous Protocol and AI Workshops.
Lewis’ creative and production work has been featured at Ars Electronica, Mobilefest, Elektra, Urban Screens, ISEA, SIGGRAPH, FILE and the Hawaiian International Film Festival, among other venues, and has been recognized with the inaugural Robert Coover Award for Best Work of Electronic Literature, two Prix Ars Electronica Honorable Mentions, several imagineNATIVE Best New Media awards and multiple solo exhibitions. His research interests include emergent media theory and history, and methodologies for conducting art-led technology research. In addition to being lead author on the award-winning “Making Kin with the Machines” essay and editor of the groundbreaking Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper, he has contributed to chapters in collected editions covering Indigenous futures, mobile media, video game design, machinima and experimental pedagogy with Indigenous communities.
Lewis has worked in a range of industrial research settings, including Interval Research, US West’s Advanced Technology Group, and the Institute for Research on Learning, and, at the turn of the century, he founded and ran a research studio for the venture capital firm Arts Alliance.
Lewis is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada as well as a former Trudeau, Carnegie, and ISO-MIT Co-Creation Lab Fellow. He received a B.S. in Symbolic Systems (Cognitive Science) and B.A. in German Studies (Philosophy) from Stanford University, and an M.Phil. in Design from the Royal College of Art.
www.jasonlewis.org
research associates
Scott Benesiinaabandan
[BA Psychology and Religious Studies]
Scott Benesiinaabandan is Anishinabe artist who works in digital imagery, printmaking and video, among other media. Benesiinaabandan obtained a BA in Psychology and Religious Studies from The University of Winnipeg (2002) and has completed mentorships and with Manitoba Printmakers Association (Martha Street Studio) and Aboriginal Film Training. During the summer of 2010, Benesiinaabandan also carried out international residencies and projects at Context Gallery in Derry, Ireland, with the Roma at Appleby’s Horse Fair and most recently with the Canada Council for the Arts Exchange Canada/Parramatta, Aus. In the past four years, Benesiinaabandan has been awarded grants from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Arts Council and Canada Council for his artistic work. Benesiinaabandan has taken part in several group exhibitions across Canada and in the United States, most notably in Flatter the land, Bigger the Ruckus, Harbourfront Centre (2006), Subconscious City at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in 2008, unSacred at G1C03( 2011) and Mii Omaa Ayaad at Parramatta Artist Studios in Syndey, Australia( 2012).
www.benesiinaabandan.com
Skawennati
Recipient of the 2011 Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship, Skawennati is recognized as a pioneering New Media artist. Her art, addressing history, the future, and change, has been widely exhibited across Canada, the United States and Australia. Best-known works include: CyberPowWow (1997-2004), the Aboriginally-determined, on-line gallery and chat space; Imagining Indians in the 25th Century (2001), a web-based paper doll/time-travel journal; and her current production, TimeTraveller™ (2008- ), a multi-platform project featuring nine short machinima episodes, a series of digital prints, and a 3D print, Hunter Mega-Figurine. Its website, www.TimeTravellerTM.com, won imagineNative’s 2009 Best New Media Award. A founding member of the First Nations artist collective, Nation to Nation, she has been active in the Artist-Run Network and sat on the board at Galerie Oboro. She has contributed texts to a wide range of publications including a chapter in the upcoming book Community-Based Multiliteracies and Digital Media Projects: Questioning Assumptions and Exploring Realities and an article in the Canadian Journal of Communication – Media Arts Revisited. Skawennati is Co-Director, with Jason E. Lewis, of Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace, (AbTeC) a network of artists and academics who are investigating and creating Aboriginal virtual environments. She holds a BFA from Concordia University in Montreal. Please visit www.skawennati.com to learn more.
www.skawennati.com
Suzanne Kite
Suzanne Kite is an Oglala Lakota performance artist, visual artist, and composer from Los Angeles, with a BFA from CalArts in music composition, an MFA from Bard College’s Milton Avery Graduate School, and is a PhD candidate at Concordia University. Recently, Kite has been developing a body interface for movement performances, carbon fiber sculptures, immersive video & sound installations, and has recently launched the experimental electronic imprint, Unheard Records.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Ceyda Yolgörmez
[PhD, Social and Cultural Analysis, Concordia University]
Ceyda Yolgormez is a PhD candidate in Social and Cultural Analysis Program at Concordia University. Her research looks at the socialization of AI agents through artworks that particularly deal with human-machine collaboration; those that use public space for human-machine encounter; and artworks that specifically focus on revealing the machinic life and sensorium. Alongside this, she thinks about the implications of doing a sociology of AI, both for the discipline of sociology, and for the futures that are cultivated by machinic intelligences. She is interested in new forms of social relations that come into being through imaginaries and practices that sustain interactions with AI systems. She is a member of Machine Agencies Research Group, Speculative Life Research Cluster, and Technoculture, Arts and Games at Milieux Institute.
graduate research assistants
James Agbonhese
James is a engineer with a background in Mechatronics and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Computer & Electrical Engineering. With experience across multiple sectors, James has served as an engineer, Tech lead, and consultant and is consistently focused on using technology to solve meaningful, real-world problems. James’ work lies at the intersection of AI, automation, and digital transformation. Currently, he runs automated ETL pipelines and workflow automation systems for abundant intelligences, supporting scalable, data-informed decisions.In addition to his technical expertise, James is passionate about building systems that are not only efficient but intentional.
Joëlle Dubé
[PhD in Humanities]
Currently pursuing a PhD in humanities at Concordia University and supported by a SSHRC Doctoral award, Joëlle Dubé is researching the intersectional temporalities of intergenerational (in)justices and Indigenous contemporary art. She investigates ways of rearticulating the relationship between the currently living and life-to-come.
Julia Fortin
[MA in Art History]
Julia Fortin (she/her) is an MA student in art history at Concordia University and a white settler based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal. Julia holds a BA in Art History from McGill University (2023). Her current research examines how the images created in response to the #NoDAPL movement relate to the concept of the future imaginary.
Robert Marinov
Robert Marinov is a PhD candidate in Communication Studies at Concordia University, with an MA in Political Science from the University of Ottawa. His SSHRC-funded doctoral research focuses on the growth of Digital Twins as governance tools and sustainability solutions, exploring the environmental and normative impacts of their embedding within Canadian policy and practice across sectors. His research has been published in journals including the Canadian Journal of Political Science, Communication Review, Politics & Policy, and Critical Studies in Media Communication, and has been featured in The Conversation Canada and Radio-Canada’s Bonjour La Côte. Robert is a member of Machine Agencies (Milieux Institute), the Grierson Research Group, the Solar Media Collective, the Groupe de recherche en communication politique, and the Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship.
Tarcisio Cataldi
[MDes, Concordia University]
Tarcisio is a Brazilian black designer. He is now a first year MDes student at Concordia University. He holds a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design from São Paulo State University (UNESP). Being committed to black-driven design narratives with the lens of Afrofuturism, Tarcisio has a special focus on data visualization, humanistic approaches to data, black-centered storytelling and diverse cultural manifestations in graphic design. He is now the Studio Designer for Obx Labs and AbTeC.
Vanessa Racine
[MA in the Individualized Program]
Vanessa Racine (she/they) is a 2Spirit French/Anishinaabe artist with a multidisciplinary focus on video game development, linguistics and beadwork. She is Anishinaabe from Beaverhouse FN but is currently based in Tiohtiá:ke/Mooniyang (Montreal) where she is completing an MA in the Individualized Program. They hold a BA in Linguistics from McGill University, taking special interest in Indigenous language visibility through art. Vanessa’s primary practice is beadwork and has been beading for five years. Using the medium’s teachings on mino bimaadiziwin (keeping a good mind/life) and its unique semblance to pixel art, Vanessa draws visual and spiritual inspiration from her practice for video game development. Blending theoretical linguistics with traditional and non-traditional practices, Vanessa explores underlying relationships between linguistic theory and Anishinaabe new media with a focus on Zaagi’idiwin (love).
undergraduate research assistants
Destiny Chescappio
Destiny Chescappio is a contemporary digital artist from the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach. Her work spans 3D art, animation, graphic design, and digital painting, delving into Indigenous Futurism by combining historical, present, and futuristic themes. She is pursuing a BFA in Computational Arts at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. She completed an artist in residency at Jimmy Sandy Memorial School in her hometown. Destiny has worked with the Indigenous production company, Rezolution Pictures, on the film Red Fever (2024). Recently, she joined Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTec) to continue her practice in digital arts and Indigenous Futurism.
Hazel Dreslinski
[BFA in Music Composition]
Hazel Dreslinski is a part-time Research Activities Coordinator for Abundant Intelligences and undergraduate music student. After studying culture and communications at Trent University in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough, ON, they relocated to Tiohtià:ke/Montreal to pursue a specialization in film/game composition. As a percussionist, they are particularly interested in exploring the diverse roles of rhythm across cultures.
Ixel J. Lindstrom
[BA in Museum Studies, Studio Arts, and Business Management]
Ixel is Maya & Ojibwe, a descendent of the Minnesota White Earth Band of Ojibwe. She is currently an undergraduate student in Museum Studies, Studio Arts, and Business Management at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). Her introduction to the art world came about from being part of youth and community murals. She is passionate about curation, collaboration, and the creation of exhibitions and community programming that aid in developing dialogue and representation for Indigenous communities. As a Research Assistant working remotely, Ixel’s main focus will be AbTeC Gallery where she will take on the role of Curatorial Assistant.
Jerwin Cabañeros
Jerwin Cabañeros is an undergraduate Computer Science student from the Philippines. He serves as the multimedia storyteller and video producer for Abundant Intelligences. Drawing from his deep passion for cinema and painting, he aims to craft films and games that are inspired by his diasporic experience
Margaret Summers
[BFA Specialization in Computation Arts]
Margaret Summers is a Mi’kmaq artist from Lennox island, PEI raised in Ottawa, Ontario who specializes in the concept of gamification in digital art. She strives to create experiences in digital media that immerse audiences in a new world where they will learn the mechanics of the new environment by making mistakes and pushing boundaries. She believes that the best way to understand something new is top explore it and fully immerse yourself in it and aims to expand this idea through her art. By using the ideas of gamification, she hopes to make topics considered to be difficult to discuss more accessible in an entertaining and challenging way.
Milo Puge
[BA in Anthropology]
Milo Puge (he/him) is a Michif from BC whose family has roots in St-Laurent, Manitoba. He is currently an Anthropology undergraduate student at Concordia. Before joining the IFRC team, he developed Michif language comics for the [Louis Riel Institute]. Milo is particularly interested in Indigenous languages, futurisms, and incorporating his art practice into his academic work.
www.louisrielinstitute.ca/comics-aen-michif
Taylor McArthur
[BFA Specialization in Computation Arts]
Taylor McArthur (Pogé hąská wašté wiyá/Hummingbird Woman) Nakoda of Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation. Raised in Southwestern Manitoba currently residing in Montreal, Quebec. Sheʾs a current Computation Arts Specialization undergraduate student in Concordia’s Fine Arts faculty. McArthur is an award-winning digital artist working with 3D animation, video game design, and video. Her practice is informed by Indigenous Futurisms, and she seeks to situate her Indigenous culture within both the modern and a potential future vision. She’s received the 2023 Platform Photography Award, 2022 Emerging Digital Artists Award and the 2022 Winnipeg Arts Council’s RBC On the Rise Award.
staff
Amarta Lohana
[Master’s in Applied Computer Science]
Amarta is a Full Stack Developer at OBX labs. With a strong foundation in both front-end and back-end technologies, she is dedicated to creating seamless user experiences and robust applications. Her academic journey fuels her passion for innovative software solutions and highlights her commitment to advancing the field of computer science. Amarta’s current projects focus on integrating emerging technologies with practical applications, exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on software development. She aspires to contribute to the evolution of tech through her work and research.
Anna Kalakutskaya
[Bachelor’s in Business Administration, John Molson School of Business, Concordia | Master’s Degree in Economics]
Anna is a Finance Manager at the OBX Lab. She holds a Diploma in Business Administration from John Molson School of Business and Master’s Degree in Economics. With more than a decade of experience in project management and operations within creative industries, Anna has consistently excelled in high-pressure environments. She was overseeing the financial aspects of various international film and animation projects, and managing complex budgets and timelines. At OBX Lab, Anna’s responsibilities include managing budgets for major AI grants to ensure the financial success of these projects and provide regular reporting to stakeholders.
Chloë Cheuk
Chloë Cheuk was born in Hong Kong. With a background of media art study in Hong Kong and sculpture study in Montreal, she is interested in the expression of mental state with concepts out of a spectrum of medium and techniques in a poetic way. Hence, Cheuk has a knack for laying bare complex, interior states—a practice that has developed through the artist’s fearless experimentation, which sees her tirelessly test new combinations of technology with aesthetic forms. Her works have been shown in Art Basel Hong Kong, Ars Electronica Festival, Tai Kwun Contemporary, Asia Society, Cornell University, Toronto University, Zurich University of the Arts, International Symposium of Electronic Art in UAE and Montreal, Seoul Auction (Korea), ELLEPHANT Galerie (Montreal), Mother’s Tankstation (Ireland), Karin Weber Gallery (Hong Kong), Denny Dimin Gallery (New York) and various independent art spaces in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. She was a guest speaker for Fine Art and Computation Art courses, and Visiting Scholar in Post Image Cluster in Concordia University, UBS in Art Basel Hong Kong and European. She is a member of SALOON Montreal and Hong Kong. Her work has also been featured in art magazines and newspapers internationally such as New York Times, CNN Style, OCULA, Twin Magazine, Art Asia Pacific, Vogue.
Connor Pion
Connor is a strategist, facilitator, and advocate with over a decade of experience in community-led research, education, learning, and development. With an Honours B.A. in Indigenous Studies and an M.A. in Geography from the University of Toronto, he has led initiatives across academic and non-profit sectors that center community knowledge, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Raised between Skaniatarí:io (Lake Ontario) and Kaniatarowanénhne (St. Lawrence River), Connor is white with Irish, British, French and Cree ancestry. Rooted in their lived experiences as a neurodiverse, non-binary queer, and driven by a passion for justice, Connor’s work bridges systems thinking and grassroots action, blending creativity, collaboration, and care to inspire lasting change. As AbTeC’s Studio-Lab Manager, Connor’s mission is to maintain an efficient, inclusive, and imaginative work environment where the team can thrive and focus on delivering their phenomenal work.
Hanss Lujan Torres
[BFA | MA in Art History]
Hanss Lujan Torres is a researcher and curator from Cusco, Peru, living and working Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Minor in Art History and Visual Culture from the University of British Columbia Okanagan and an MA in Art History from Concordia University. His research and curatorial practice consider subjugated archives, queer temporalities, and alternative futures in contemporary art. Hanss is the research coordinator for the Indigenous Futures Research Centre. In addition, he has held positions with several arts organizations, including curatorial intern at the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, past president of the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art, and a curatorial assistant at the Kelowna Art Gallery.
Holly Grimm
[B.S Engineering Human/Computer Interface Design and B.A Studio Art Stanford University]
AbInt Associate Director of Emerging AI Technologies Holly Grimm is a Diné machine learning engineer and creative technologist with 25+ years of development experience, originally from Denver and now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has built technical systems with Indigenous communities and focuses on integrating Indigenous Knowledges with AI systems.
Jen Reimer
Jen Reimer is a sound artist and performer based in Montréal. She received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Alberta, a Graduate Diploma in music performance studies from Concordia University in Montréal and was an artist in residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Souterrain Artist Residency (Berlin, DE), Nes Artist Residency (Skagaströnd, IS), Forte Marghera (Venice, IT) and a participant in the Sound Development City expedition (Lisbon, PT/ Marseille, FR) in 2013. www.reimerstein.com
Jill Kinaschuk
Jill is our Senior Operational Support.
She is originally from Misâskwatômina (Saskatoon). Jill holds a BA in Human Relations and Gender Studies and an MA in Human Systems Intervention, from Concordia University. With a background in higher education, organizational development, and community engagement, she is adept at facilitating workshops and training sessions that foster collaboration and creative thinking. She is dedicated to building strong relationships and facilitating meaningful dialogue, fostering environments where diverse perspectives are valued and encouraged to envision the future.
Kendra Besanger
Kendra (she/her) is the Manager of Partner Operations with Abundant Intelligences where she aligns headquarters support with the needs of leadership, research clusters, and partners. For the past decade, she has built operational and funding strategies that have secured close to $20 million in funding for social purpose and educational organizations. She takes pride in contributing to spaces and systems that foster social connection, curiosity, and critical thinking. Kendra holds a Master’s Degree in Media Studies from Concordia University and an Executive Coaching Certification from Royal Roads University.
Maxime Perreault
[Bachelor of Fine Arts, specialization in Computation Arts]
Maxime Perreault is a queer emerging digital artist from Quebec City, and is now based in Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal). He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts specialized in Computation Arts from Concordia University. Throughout his life, Maxime has been learning about 3D animation, programming, and creative technologies, allowing him to produce artwork ranging from illustrations, animations, and interactive installations. In parallel, from 2021 onwards, Maxime has been working as a tattoo artist under the alias of hd.maxi.
hdmaxi.xyz
Nancy Townsend
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
As Associate Producer at AbTeC, Nancy contributes in some way to every project being considered. She assists in 3D artwork, compositing effects, video editing, general project management and is even happy to provide coffee once in a while if the staff is feeling down. With a BFA in Computation Arts, she previously worked as research assistant at three Concordia media labs until graduation and then ventured out into International Relocation Consulting, followed by freelance video editing and eventually project management at Minority Media. She has returned to AbTeC as a now seasoned professional, eager to exercise her creative side once more
Sabrina Smith
[MA in Art History]
Sabrina Smith (she/her) is originally from Bdeóta Othúŋwe/Gakaabikaang/Minneapolis, Minnesota and is a white-settler of Irish and Scottish-Gaelic descent. Sabrina has a BA in Art History from Mount Holyoke College (2017) and an MA in Art History from Concordia University (2023). Her graduate thesis under Dr. John Povtin critically examined the exhibition, Le monde en tête (Lyon, 2019 and Montreal, 2022), and the Musée des Confluences’ curatorial politics and representation of Indigenous art history. Smith’s other works include a group exhibition, Confronting the Anthropocene: Theory, Activism, Art, exploring posthuman feminist phenomenology and the biotic and abiotic elements of ourselves. Sabrina joins the Abundant Intelligences program as Coordinator North, bringing her interest in phenomenology including AI phenomenology and the phenomenology of senses as bodily and cultural phenomena to the team.
Vania Ryan
[MA in art history]
Vania Ryan (she/her) is originally from Mohkinstis/Calgary, Alberta and is a white-settler of Irish and Jewish-Canadian descent. Vania has a BA in Drama from the University of Lethbridge (2018) and an MA in Art History from Concordia University (2023). Vania moved to Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal in 2019 to pursue graduate studies at Concordia with Dr. May Chew. There, her research focussed on unsettling, decolonizing, and haunting tactics within the digital and physical fashion collection Calico & Camouflage(2020) created by Skawennati: Co-Founder and Co-Director of the research-creation network Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC). Previously, Vania worked as a Research Assistant for Dr. Heather Igloliorte under the Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project and Co-Coordinated Auviqsaqtut: Inuit Studies Conference in 2022. Presently, Vania acts as a Research Assistant for AbTeC and as a Studio Assistant to Skawennati.
research associate alumni
Jeremy Juan Alvarez
[Game Development Technician]
My name is Jeremy Juan Alvarez. I am a Mohawk Native American from the Saint Regis Mohawk Territory in Akwesasne New York. I graduated from Salmon River Central High School in Fort Covington New York. I then graduated from St. Lawrence College in Cornwall Ontario, from the Game Development Technician Program. I am currently employed at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, as a Network Specialist. I have always had a strong interest and desire to create and play video games. Video Games have always been a part of life. Some of my earliest memories are with a NES controller in my hands playing games like Mario Bros. or Crystalis. While at school I created a number of video games for use on PC, Xbox 360, and iOS and learned to code using languages, such as C++, C#, and Objective C. I learned some scripting with Python, and Lua. I also learned to create and maintain web pages using HTML and CSS. We even went through database creation and maintenance, using MySQL, and PHP for web applications. Other than playing video games, I love playing soccer, and enjoy exercising.
www.jeremyjuanalvarez.netai.net
Ruben Farrus
Ruben Farrus is an independent videogame creative director with 8 years of experience developing ideas from conception to final release.He has worked in companies such as Electronic Arts, Eidos and more recently independent studio Minority Media Inc. He was game designer on the award-winning Papo & Yo and led development of Minority’s follow-up empathy game, Spirits of Spring. His latest collaboration was J’aime les patates, a narrative game about social innovation by documentarist Vali Fugulin and the National Film Board of Canada.During this time he has pitched to Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Apple, Amazon and the CMF, and he has delivered talks at MIGS Montreal and spoken at conferences in Mexico, Colombia, and the IGDA’s Montreal chapter.He is currently working on a new project for virtual reality devices.
Tehoniehtathe Delisle
Tehoniehtathe Delisle graduated from Kahnawake Survival School and is currently a student at Champlain College St. Lambert, in the Film/Video/Communications program. He was involved in the first Skins workshop as Lead Designer, where the video game “Otsi: Rise of the Kanien’kehá:ka” was developed. Worked as a mentor for Skins 2.0 in summer of 2011 and helped designed the audio layout of the game. Has experience with storytelling, video editing, many computer programs like Blender, UDK, Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, Unity, Final Cut, iMovie and Audacity.
Postdoctoral Fellows Alumni
Léuli Eshraghi
Léuli Eshrāghi is an Australian artist, curator, writer from Sāmoan, Persian and other ancestries. Léuli completed a PhD in Curatorial Practice at Monash University in 2018 and is the inaugural Horizon Postdoctoral Fellow with the Initiative for Indigenous Futures at Concordia University in 2019. He holds qualifications in Indigenous arts management, francophone Great Ocean literature, Indigenous studies and comparative cultural studies. Léuli creates performances, installations, writing and curatorial projects centred on the body, ceremony, language renewal and hopeful futures. He exhibits and publishes regularly, and serves on the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective (Canada) board.
graduate alumni
Agata Michalska
[M.Graduate Certificate. Digital Technologies in Design Art]
Computational artist, he is currently exploring the boundaries of the visual and textual. He graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor in Computer Science, major in Digital Imaging & Sound of the Fine Arts. Starting in August 2004, he will be experiencing South-East Asia and considering the possibilities of a Master Degree.
Alexandra Nordstrom
[Art History]
Alexandra Nordstrom is a PhD student in the Interuniversity Doctoral Program in Art History at Concordia University (Tiohtià:ke/Montreal), and she is a SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarship recipient. She holds an MA in art history from Concordia University (2020) and a BA in art history from the University of British Columbia (2018). Raised on Treaty 6 Territory in Saskatchewan, Alexandra is a member of the Poundmaker Cree Nation.
Anastasia Erickson
[Art History, Concordia University]
Anastasia Erickson was born in Chicago and presently resides in Tiohtiá:ke/ Montréal, where she is pursuing her BFA in Art History. Though still an undergraduate at Concordia University, Anastasia is additionally a curatorial intern at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, doing research with the museum’s collection of African art. Concurrently, she maintains her own research interests in Afrofuturism, decolonial art practices, and hauntology. No matter which hat she wears for the day, Anastasia is consistently excited and propelled by the prospect of improving the quality of other people’s lives through art and service. After her graduation, Anastasia intends to pursue postgraduate studies which will allow her to find new ways of positively impacting her local, national, and global communities through the research and the visual arts.
Bradford Dean
[DEA; BA Honours Human Environment]
I am a graduate student pursuing a Master of Environment degree from the Geography Planning and Environment department in Concordia University. My work’s focus centered on environmental changes to the environment on a local and global scale. My Honours thesis had focused on understanding environmental changes in northern Cree communities. I had taught grade 10 level 4 science to Aboriginal students in Winnipeg and Montreal and participated in volunteer activities to help plant indigenous plants/trees on Mont Royal through the organization Les Amis de la Montagne as well as help to facilitate workshops within secondary schools for “Let’s Talk Science” in 2014. As a first Nations activist I strive towards helping others openly question and realize objectives we need to change around us.
Caeleigh Lightning
[Master of Design]
Caeleigh Lightning is a Cree/Irish 2 Spirit artist and a member of Samson Cree Nation completing her Master’s of Design at Concordia. She is a graduate from Trent University in Indigenous Environmental Studies. Caeleigh is the lead artist and illustrator at Ekosi Studios, an indie game studio created by herself and her sister Keara, creating narrative games about Indigenous futures.
linktr.ee/studioekosi
Camelia Layachi
[Design]
Camelia Layachi is an interior architect, computational designer and researcher completing her Master’s in Design (MDes) at Concordia University. Her Amazigh (North-African Indigenous) heritage is central in her architecture practice. She actively investigates the intersections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous space planning theories and aims to resist the hegemonic conditions in modernist architecture. During her BSc in Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, she developed a strong interest in decolonizing architectural technologies and digital tools. Her current research explores the interplay between online placemaking and the agency of space and machine learning in modelling software.
Camille Usher
Camille Georgeson-Usher is an emerging Coast Salish/Dene/Scottish scholar from Galiano Island, BC. She is currently pursuing an MA in Art History at Concordia University with research focusing on Indigenous community based artistic practice and research methodologies, largely forming her own exploration as an Indigenous woman guiding her Indigenous body through structural and conceptual colonial spaces. Both her research and artistic practice works through ideas of urban Indigenous identity rooted in melding together street art and hip hop culture, Indigeneity, and community. In addition to this, she currently holds the position as exhibitions, press and interns co-manager at the SBC Gallery of Contemporary Art in Montreal.
Daria Khomyakova
[PhD. Interactive Arts and Technology]
Daria Khomyakova has an Informational Design background. She received her Bachelor Degree in State Polytechnical University of St. Petersburg, Russia. Recently graduated from Concordia University, Montreal, where studied Digital Technologies in Design Art Practice. Has a broad range of interests in the design sphere, starting from 2D graphic design and photography, and continuing with creating video games. Overall, has a strong interest to life itself and all the processes, which happen within and around. Currently works as a research assistant at Obx Labs, participating in the Skins 4.0 Workshop project.
chernayamorn.daportfolio.com
David (Jhave) Johnston
[PhD. Humanities]
Focus: language-based online digital art. Combinatorial poetics, multimedia poetry. Currently, developing works that feature typographic experiments built through a synthesis of Flash, Mudbox, Vegas, Ableton Suite and Mr. Softie. Working and exhibiting with, among others: FILE (2004-2009), Champ Libre, Bioteknica, Turbulence.org, Ollivier Dyens, OBX, TML and Oboro. Exhibited at 3 new media Biennales: Montreal ’09 & ’03 & Toronto ’04. 2009. Doctoral candidate at Concordia University affiliated with OBX. 2007. SFU SIAT. MaSc in Interactive Arts program. “Emotion in Online Digital Poetry” 2004. Concordia University. Bachelor of Computer Science, minor in Digital Image and Sound.
www.glia.ca www.year01.com
Elizabeth LaPensée
[PhD. Interactive Arts and Technology]
Elizabeth LaPensée is an Irish, Anishinaabe, and Métis border-crossing writer and producer whose work addresses indigenous representations in media such as video games, films, and comic books. She is a candidate for the PhD in Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University completing her dissertation on looking at traditional oral storytelling to inform the design of interactive media
Ellyn Walker
Ellyn Walker is a writer and curator currently based in Toronto. Born and raised on Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Wendat land, Ellyn is a settler of Scottish and Italian ancestry whose work focuses on representations of resistance, reimagination and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous histories. Ellyn’s writing has been published in the Journal of Curatorial Studies, PUBLIC, Prefix Photo, FUSE and C magazine, among others places. Her curatorial projects have been presented by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Prefix ICA and imagineNATIVE. Ellyn is currently the Curatorial Fellow at Charles Street Video.
Farah Jamaluddin
[Graduate Certificate, Design Art]
Gabrielle Hughes
[[BFA Visual Arts, Memorial University of Newfoundland] [MSt Art History, University of Oxford] [Mst Archaeology, University of Oxford] [DPhil (PhD), Archaeology, University of Oxford]]
Gabe is Wampanoag of mixed heritage from Nova Scotia, and grew up in Newfoundland, where she has close ties to the Mi’kmaq community. She is a traditional drummer and artist, and is passionate about critical heritage and museum studies. Since arriving in Oxford, she has co-founded the social enterprise TalkAbout, aimed at connecting communities with one another through heritage, and the Oxford Indigenous Student Initiative, providing a network for Indigenous students and visiting scholars. Her doctoral research focuses on Indigenous internet communities, digital culture, video games and intellectual property law.
Jas M. Morgan
Jas M. Morgan is a nehiyaw-saulteaux-Métis curator, writer, community organizer, and MA candidate in Concordia University’s art history department. They are the co-founder of the Indigenous Arts Council, and the Black Indigenous Harm Alliance. Nixon’s writing has appeared in Malahat Review, Room, GUTS, Briarpatch
Jasmin Winter
Jasmin Winter is joining IIF for a field placement to complete her Master’s in Development Practice program at the University of Winnipeg. Her research has explored more nuanced, self-determining models of technological development in different communities, and has more recently focused in on Indigenous engagements with and within virtual landscapes. Jasmin has not been back to Montreal since completing her undergraduate degree at McGill, and is excited to immerse herself in such an innovative lab at Concordia.
Joachim Despland
[BSc Computer Science | DESS Game Design]
Joachim Despland is an independent game designer and computer scientist who enjoys working on creative projects, solving interesting problems, experimenting with interactive technology, and figuring things out.
www.joachimdespland.com
John Stuart
[Graduate Certificate, Design Art]
Justyna Latek
[Graduate Certificate, Design Art]
Kristina Baudemann
Kristina Baudemann is a literary scholar, PhD student and instructor at the University of Flensburg in Germany. She is currently writing her dissertation that is tentatively titled “Signifying Future: Representation and the Future Imaginary in Indigenous North American Literature and New Media.” Kristina has contributed to the Extrapolation special issue on Indigenous Futurism (edited by Grace Dillon, John Rieder, and Michael Levy) and to The Fictions of Stephen Graham Jones: A Critical Companion. Forthcoming publications include articles in the peer-review journals SAIL (Studies in American Indian Literatures) and Open Library of Humanities (special issue on Utopia at the Border), and an edited collection titled Beyond Karl May: Teaching Native Literatures and Cultures in Europe (with Birgit Däwes). Kristina has presented her work at international conferences. She was a Fulbright fellow at the University of Arizona in Tucson in 2014 and has been awarded travel grants from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Association for Canadian Studies in German-Speaking Countries (GKS). Kristina’s research interests include Indigenous North American visual arts, literatures and new media with a special focus on Indigenous futurisms. She is also interested in science fiction and speculative fiction, the monstrous and (new) weird, utopian studies, postcolonial studies, postmodern culture, and poststructuralist studies. Photo credit: Dion Smith-Dokkie.
Louis Goupille
[M.Graduate Certificate. Digital Technologies in Design Art]
Louis Goupille was born and raised on the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. A landscape artist, he studied literature and currently lives and works in Montreal. His practice has been centrally concerned with how memory and the imagination operate as components of the individual identity. His current work and research extends his practice into computer graphics and the interactive media in order to evoke representations of the natural landscape seen through a virtual lens.
Issu d’une famille établie dans les iles depuis plusieurs générations, Louis Goupille à passé son enfance à l’ile Maurice, dans l’Océan Indien. Il a fait des études littéraires et est peintre paysagiste à Montréal ou il vit et travaille actuellement. Ses sujets d’intérét courants sont: la mémoire, l’imaginaire et l’identité personnelle. Sa recherche et son travail explorent ces idées qui sont traitées au travers de la représentation de la nature avec des images graphiques dans un environnement virtuel.
Maize Longboat
Maize Longboat is Kanien’kehá:ka from Six Nations of the Grand River and was raised on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Squamish Nation near Vancouver, BC. As the Skins Workshops Associate Director with Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC) and the Initiative for Indigenous Futures (IIF), he is responsible for coordinating everything Skins-related. He holds an MA in Media Studies from Concordia University and a BA in First Nations Studies and History (double major) from the University of British Columbia. Maize’s MA research-creation thesis project examined Indigenous videogames and culturally-connected development practices through the production of his own game, Terra Nova, a two-player, cooperative platformer with an interactive narrative.
Meredith Davey
[Graduate Certficate, Design]
Meredith Davey holds a BSc(hons) in Physics form the University of Bristol (UK). After initial training in the sciences he worked for 3 years for an innovative and world renowned firm of building services engineers in London, UK. As an engineer he developed the creative designs for many projects throughout the world, including Europe, Australia and North America. He specialized in sustainable design and environmental engineering and has been involved in projects to a total value of approximately $700m (CAN) worldwide.
Miao Song
[PhD in SIP(Special Individualized Program)- Computer Science, Concordia University]
Miao Song’s PhD research involves a mix of interactive environments, cinema and documentaries, 3D computer graphics and realistic physical based simulation, and haptic responsive environments.
Miao has completed her first Bachelor’s degree in Performance Arts and Direction in China. While in China, Ms. Song has worked in the Central Television Station as a TV director and journalist.
Miao got the second Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, and her Master’s of Computer Science degree also at Concordia concentrated in interactive real-time softbody simulation.
Miao worked on the design, planning, and development of a number of educational games with animation and video for primary school students while working at the Concordia University Native Access to Engineering Program (NAEP) and the Center for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP), also at Concordia.
Currently, Miao has been awarded FQRSC scholarship for her PhD study from year of 2009 to 2012. She also works as a teaching assistant at Concordia, and research assistant at Concordia and Mcgill University.
Michelle Lee Brown
Michelle Lee Brown is a Ph.D. candidate studying Indigenous political praxis and futures through Indigenous designers’ video games, graphic novels, and machinima. She has published peer-reviewed work on the Never Alone video game, a methods chapter on Indigenous political theory approaches to videogame research, and “Liminal” – a comic in the forthcoming Relational Constellation collection from MSU Press and Native Realities Press. She is currently working on a VR project on water and relationality, and a comic based on multiple levels of impostor syndrome. Euskaldun, Michelleʻs ancestral land and waters are Lapurdi, the Bidart/Plage DʻErretegia area – but she grew up on Wampanoag territories around Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod, MA. Michelle currently resides on, and is nourished by, the lands and waters of the Kānaka Maoli in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. She strives to uphold her relational commitments to these communities, and is grateful to be working on the project.
Mikhel Proulx
[BFA, Drawing, Alberta College of Art & Design | MA, Art History, Concordia University]
Mikhel Proulx researches contemporary art and digital cultures. His research considers Queer and Indigenous artists working with networked media, and he has curated exhibitions across Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. Mikhel is a PhD student and faculty member in the department of Art History at Concordia University.
Morgan Kennedy
Morgan Kennedy is a digital games researcher, writer, and former volunteer firefighter. His research and writing focuses on the social and business aspects of the videogame industry. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Marketing at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachussetts and recently finished a Graduate Certificate in Digital Design at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Currently he is a researcher at Obx Labs and coordinator for the new Technoculture, Art and Games initiative at Hexagram-Concordia.
Nikolaos Chandolias
[BSc Computer Science | DESS Game Design M.Sc in Electrical & Computer Engineering, M.A. (Special Individualized Program [INDI])]
During his studies in Electrical and Computer Engineering, he has developed strong skills and knowledge in programming and designing software systems. His experience as a volunteer in various European student organizations made him aware of the cultural diversity and the wealth of different perspectives in research and learning. His participation to several collaborative projects as well as many student and artistic groups cultivated a truly collaborative perspective and the understanding of common interest. His former research experience is in the fields of nature language processing and semantics. He is currently looking at expanding his knowledge in the fields of interactive media art and developing installations at an international multicultural level.
Rozita Nagshin
[Ph.D. Computer Science]
Saleheh Nargesian
[[Mst Computer Science Concordia University] ]
Master Student in Computer Science.
Santiago Salcido
[M.Graduate Certificate. Digital Technologies in Design Art]
Santiago graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Design for Graphic Communication at University of Guadalajara, in Mexico, where he worked as the Design Manager of La gaceta, University’s official newspaper. He also taught and created the course Editorial Design at the Journalism Program.
He is a member of the editorial board for the Design Magazine Quadra.
His former experience includes print and web design work for clients such as Les Affaires newspaper, Le Groupe Flexidee and The Lacava Design Studio.
He is currently exploring document design of textbooks and e-books, and its influence on the learning process.
Sara Nicole England
Sara Nicole England is an emerging curator, researcher, and writer with a focus on histories of the built environment and exhibitions, Indigenous art, and environmental perspectives in art. She received her MA in Art History at Concordia University (2018) and holds a BFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice from OCAD University. Sara is part of KAPSULA Magazine, a digital publication and online platform for critical and experimental writing. She has written exhibition essays for galleries in Ontario and Quebec, including Art Mûr, McClure Gallery, and XPACE Cultural Centre. Her writing can be found in Espace art actuel, Public Art Dialogue Journal (forthcoming), and a volume published by Bloomsbury (forthcoming), among others.
Saurabh Oberoi
[Masters in Engineering in Information Systems Security]
I am a graduate student, pursuing my Masters in Engineering in Information Systems Security at Concordia University. I have successfully completed my Bachelor’s in Engineering in Computer Science from Mumbai University, India. My romance with Computers started in my childhood wherein I was engrossed in Computer games and was very much fascinated by the technologies behind it. Therefore, I decided to explore this Digital world and hence opted for Computer Engineering for my under-graduation and Information Systems Security for my graduation. My topics of interest include System Security, Software Development & Designing, and Cloud Computing.
Shahrom Ali
[MA Educational Technology]
Shahrom is a computer scientist and a master’s student of educational technology at Concordia University (Montreal). He is a tech-agnostic software engineer with a background in entrepreneurship, game development, mobile app development, and scientific computing & AI. With this skill set he has been the solo programmer for game-like systems, solar-powered servers, mobile apps, chatbots (e.g. Chabot and Jay), and more. His master’s thesis aims to build an educational game design theory from the ground up – synthesizing interactive media (games) and educational theory for post-secondary education from inception.
https://github.com/estineali
Shyam Shanker
[M.A.Sc Electrical & Computer Engineering]
Shyam is currently a Masters Student in Electrical & Computer Engineering at Concordia University, Montreal. His fields of interests are Robotics, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Control Systems, Haptic devices and Embedded Systems. He has published 8 research papers in International Journals & Conference Proceedings and holds a patent for one of his works. He is also interested in Art works related to these fields. Shyam also volunteers at Montreal Association for Blinds(MAB Mackay Rehabilitation centre). He currently works as a Research Assistant in A-Lab, TAG LAB and OBX LAB as a programmer in Concordia University, Montreal.
Thibaut Duverneix
[M.Graduate Certificate. Digital Technologies in Design Art]
Thibaut fait son entrée dans le monde de l’art comme musicien. De formation classique au conservatoire, il se dirige bientôt vers des horizons plus contemporains et électroacoustiques. Titulaire d’un baccalauréat scientifique spécialisé en maths et en cinéma audiovisuel, il étudie ensuite l’informatique et la programmation en imagerie numérique à l’IUT de Clermont Ferrand en France. En 2002, il rentre à l’Ecole Supérieure de l’Image à Poitiers, institution des beaux-arts axé e sur le développement des pratiques numériques dans l’art contemporain. Il obtient son DNAP (diplôme national d’art plastique) communication en 2005 avec les félicitations du jury. Son travail est basé sur une pratique très large, allant de la photo au développement d’applications interactives, en passant par la vidéo, la composition électroacoustique ou encore des œuvres en lignes. Diplômé en 2006 du Graduate Certificate: Digital Technologies in Design Art Practice à l’université Concordia, il est actuellement assistant de recherches en charge de la réalisation audio, photo et vidéo pour les studios MDCN et OBX, au sein de l’Institut de recherche Hexagram.
www.raedmousa.com
Travis Mercredi
Travis Mercredi is a Metis sound designer and musician born and raised in the Northwest Territories. Based out of Yellowknife he operates his business Outland Sound Design producing and recording audio for film, television, radio, music and theatre. Some of his credits include sound design and co-production of the radio drama “I Count Myself Among Them” written by Richard Van Camp which was performed at the National Art Centre in Ottawa, Akpik Theatre’s one woman play “Tumit” which was part of the of the 2013 Talking Stick Theatre festival in Vancouver, a short film called “Amelia” which was selected by Telefilm to be shown at the Cannes International Film Festival as part of their new Canadian talent presentation and audio post-production for “Dene: A Journey” an APTN reality show which brings young aboriginal people from the NWT back onto the land to reconnect with their cultural heritage. An advocate for arts and technology in the NWT, he has been/is a part of the board of directors for non-profit organizations Western Arctic Moving Pictures, MusicNWT, Yellowknife Artists Run Community Centre and the NWT Professional Media Association.
Treva Pullen
Treva Pullen is an interdisciplinary researcher, curator and artist from Toronto currently based in Montreal. Her research explores the playful and agentic capacities of media art through the lens of ‘whimsical bodies’; a term she uses as an evocative metaphor for the lively, humorous and often reciprocally engaging nature of media art objects. Her writings have been published in JAWS and AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples. She has also curated new media based exhibitions such as #NATURE (2016) and Influenc(Ed.) Machines at OCAD University. Pullen is a PhD candidate in Communication Studies at Concordia and holds an MA from OCAD University in Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Art Histories, with a focus in new media, and a BFA from OCAD University majoring in Criticism and Curatorial Practice with a studio minor. Her recently published Master’s Thesis “Whimsical Bodies: Agency and Playfulness in Robotic Art” won OCAD University’s Outstanding Thesis Award in 2016.
Waylon Wilson
Waylon Wilson is from the Tuscarora Nation, Deer clan. Raised in the Nyučirhę’e (Tuscarora Nation Territory), Waylon’s culture and nationhood are a critical influence to his research as an experimental game developer, artist, designer, and scholar. He utilizes his lens as a Tuscarora man to address critical Indigenous and environmental issues. He is a Master of Design student at Concordia University and recently graduated summa cum laude with his Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies from University at Buffalo, majoring in production and Game Studies. He is a Co-coordinator and Media Instructor for the Indigenous youth program, Skarùrę’ Awękwehstá:θe:’. Waylon’s media work centres on encoding critical Indigenous thought and perspectives into interactive forms of media towards education, both on and off screen. www.waylonwilson.com
undergraduate alumni
Alaina Perez
[Art History]
Alaina Perez is a member of the Tahltan nation and is currently completing a BFA in Art History at Concordia. Her primary research interest is the ambiguity which manifests within cultural products through diaspora, dislocation, and displacement. Through her explorations, she seeks to point out what is neither here, nor there. Currently, she is in the works of developing an art practice that reflects these pointed notions.
Alanna Mitchell
[Sociology]
Alanna is of Coast Salish & Kwakwaka’wakw descent from the K’ómoks First Nation (BC). Current undergrad major in Sociology. She is also working towards her HRM Diploma concurrently. Through the many roles, she has held Alanna is known for her innovation to create tailored specific needs of groups and individuals in the community. Alanna is remarked by her community as being sincere and cares for those around her. After graduation, Alanna intends to jump-start her career with hopes to positively impact and support the Indigenous community through HR and community planning.
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/alanna-mitchell-b0296076
Alexandria Alcancia-Shaw
[CompSci Computation Arts]
Alexandria Alcancia-Shaw is majoring in Computation Arts and Computer Science at Concordia University. She’s interested in User Interface design and User Experience design.
www.alexandriashaw.com
Alicia Fortier
[Specialization Computation Arts]
Born and raised in Montreal, Alicia is studying computation arts with a focus on game design. She loves multiplayer games and easy to learn interfaces
Andrew Lunga
Andrew Lunga is an International Student from Zimbabwe. He currently in the last year of his Major in Film Animation and Minor in Computation Arts at Concordia University. He has spent the last 4 years specializing in 3D design and digital video creation. His passion is 3D modeling, Matte Painting, Animating and Compositing. He is currently one of the Animators working on both the Skins and TimeTraveller™ projects at OBX labs.
Angela Gabereau
[B.Comp.Sci. Computational Arts]
Angela Gabereau is majoring in Computaional Arts and Computer Science at Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec. Her areas of interest include fine arts, aesthetic programming, AI, cognitive science, mathematics, philosophy, philosophy of science, feminism, feminist science studies, post-colonial theory, science fiction and gong-fu.
Ania Johnstone
[English Literature ]
Ania is currently completing her final year of English Literature at Concordia University.
Anthony Lum
[Design]
Anthony Lum is a multidisciplinary designer who does web design, printmaking, graphic design, photography, and videography. Currently pursuing a BFA in Design at Concordia University, he also freelances for local Montreal businesses and friends. When not studying or designing, he is working as a lifeguard and life-saving instructor on the weekends teaching swim lessons and first aid.
www.anthonylumdesigns.ca
Asa Perlman
[Design]
Asa Perlman is a Toronto-born artist and designer based out of Montreal QC. Asa began practicing art from an early age as a performer in film, television, theatre and opera. After nearly a decade of traveling and working in various trades, he relocated to Montreal to pursue a degree in Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University, and became passionate about programming. Presently, his interdisciplinary mode of making is inspired and informed by the shifting friction points between emerging technology and society, with a focus on user interfaces and their relationship to economies of data.
www.asas.website
Bea Parsons
[B.F.A. Studio Arts]
“I am a Cree woman, born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I recently completed my BFA in Art Education at Concordia University, Montreal. I have been assisting with workshop preparations for the Skins Project for AbTeC, as well as production on TimeTraveller™, a machinima-based movie in Second Life!”
Brent Skagford
[B.F.A. Design Art]
Brian Li Sui Fong
[B.F.A. Design]
Brian is a multi-disciplinary designer graduating from the Design program at Concordia. Born and raised in Mauritius Island, he loves experimenting with techniques, while granting much attention to the concept and refining the details. Writing in the third person makes him want to stop right there and go back to work on his projects, which usually range from graphic/print/web design, illustration, 3d modelling and animation, video, etc… He has works published in Communication Arts Typography Annual, exhibited at FOFA Gallery, Les Territoires gallery, Art Mûr gallery. Check his website and feel free to contact him if you would like to know more.
Bronson Jacque
[Bachelor of Fine Arts]
Bronson Jacque (they/them) is an Inuit artist from Postville, Nunatsiavut, with a career spanning fifteen years. While they started out in oil painting, Bronson has shifted their focus to digital design, bringing their unique perspective to this medium. Growing up in a family of artists, Jacque got into creating art when they were 13 years old. Their personal experiences, like being nearsighted, have played a big role in shaping their artistic style, which often encourages viewers to engage with a sense of distance and perspective. Besides their work in digital design, Bronson is also a Contributing Editor with the Inuit Art Foundation. They’ve got a strong desire to help out their community and hope to return to Nunatsiavut someday with the knowledge and resources to start community programs that help people reach their artistic goals. For Jacque, art is a way to capture memories and bring people closer together. Through their work with the Inuit Art Foundation, they’re able to support other Inuit artists and help make sure their unique perspectives are seen and appreciated.
Bronson Zgeb
[BSc CS]
Bronson Zgeb started his career as a web developer for a Montreal startup. After becoming disinterested in his work, he left his job to explore new frontiers by studying at Concordia University. Always seeking to push his limits, he began developing mobile applications for various clients while pursuing his studies. Towards the end of his Bachelor’s degree, Bronson completed an internship at one of Montreal’s largest independent game developers. Recently, he co-founded KO-OP Mode, a studio focused on making games while collaborating with passionate individuals. Bronson is an avid learner. He voraciously consumes new challenges to nourish his skills and abilities. He’s well-versed in several programming languages, and at any given moment he’s obsessing over a new language which has piqued his interest.
Bruno Nadeau
[M.S. Computer Science/Arts Computation Engineering]
Bruno graduated with a M.S. in Computer Science from the Arts Computation Engineering (ACE) program at UC Irvine, and received a B.Sc. in Computer Science with a concentration on Computation Arts at Concordia University in Montréal. During his studies, he created interactive installations that exploit and question the use of the body for human-computer interaction, leading to his current research which focuses on tangible computing.
www.brunonadeau.com
Carlene Fragnito
[B.F.A. Film Study]
Cassandra Lacombe
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
I am a 3rd year student in the major of Computation Arts at Concordia University. I like to have a broad knowledge in many spheres of computer science and computation arts. As the media invades more and more our daily lives, I would like to ride the wave and be part of what the future will become. So far, I am still in the exploration of the possibilities that this field has to offer. Yet, I would like to take advantage of the interactive part of the new technologies. Thus, my goal would be to work in the video game industry.
Charles Hanna
[Major Design | Minor Computation Arts]
I am presently completing my undergraduate studies, majoring in design and minoring in computation arts. I am interested in constantly exploring the areas of design in relation to other fields especially computation. I am on a constant quest to further push the limits of my conceptual and practical expertise in order to better embrace our quickly evolving technological world. As a critical thinker and advocate of sustainable practices, I always seek to take into consideration the sustainable implications, and thrives to achieve a sustainable practice that often challenges the status quo, throughout my projects and my everyday life.
www.chrls.com
Charles-Antoine Dupont
[B. Comp. Sci. Computational Arts]
Charlotte Fisher
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
Charlotte is in her third year studying a specialization in Computation Arts, and a minor in Music. As a transfer student from the Studio Arts program at Concordia, most of her training is in the realm of tangible media, painting and drawing being her specialty. Since entering the Computation Arts program, the 3D world has become her new passion. A 3D modeler and texturer, her main interest is in games, believing it is an area in which art does not receive adequate recognition from the art world, as it is still being shunned by many highbrow organisations.
Chris Berthe
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Chris Berthe is a Computation Arts specialization student in his third year. He loves HTML/CSS, jQuery and Adobe Illustrator. He spends most of his days reading too much CNN.com, IMDB and design blogs. He is fond of Digitally Imported, Kanda sushi and real-life ninja turtles. “Hi mom/poppy.”
Chris Drogaris
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
Chris Drogaris has completed a DEC in Computer Science and is currently studying in his third year at Concordia University in Computation Arts. His area of interests include web, programming, video games, design, photography and video. Chris specializes in web development and is currently working for Obx Labs and freelancing under the company Diga Design.
www.chrisdrogaris.com www.digadesign.com
Christian Gratton
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
Christian Gratton is currently studying in his second year at Concordia University specializing in Computation Arts. As a programmer his main interests are in creating games and educational applications for the iOS platform.
www.christiangratton.com
Christina Biron
Christina Biron is from the Cree Nation of Wemindji, a northern community situated on the coast of James Bay. Currently specializing in Human Relations at Concordia university She believes in focusing her energy “upstream” when it comes to working with aboriginal populations. Her work involves mobilizing collaborative efforts to examine and implement actions towards key determinants of health in the context of community development. New to the creative scene at AbTeC her interest is drawn to its innovative initiative to combine visual media arts to the preservation of indigenous culture.
Claudine Lamothe
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Claudine Lamothe is a second year Computational Arts student. She loves electronics and programming, and most of her projects involve integrating technology into other media. To pay the bills, Claudine makes interactive lighting at Eski, and does freelance web design.
Clement Liu
[Major in Computation Arts]
Clément Liu is an illustrator and designer and currently completing his BFA in Computation arts at Concordia University. He is the Creative Director at the award winning The Link Newspaper.
www.heyclem.com
Darian Jacobs
Darian Jacobs is a Mohawk student from Kahnawake. She is currently in her second year of Concordia University’s Creative Writing program. She was a participant in the Skins 4.0 program. She has a love for writing and art and hopes to continue exploring both passions going forward.
David Bouchard
[B.Sc. Computer Science/DFAR]
David Bouchard is graduating from an intensive program in Computer Science with a focus on Digital Image, Sound and the Fine Arts. He is an emergent new media artist, having used his studies to develop and create a number of interactive works that use computation as a creative material. His interactive installation, The Dandelion Field, will go on exhibition this September at CAFKA 04 in Kitchener, Ontario.
David Clark
[Computation Arts]
David Somiah Clark is a Montréal based musician and emergent media artist with a professional background in audiovisual systems integration. Working as a consultant, David has designed solutions for clients including the Canadian Space Agency and CAE Healthcare. His compositional work can be heard in his collaboration with Montréal’s Pang Attack. Currently completing his B.F.A. in Computation Arts at Concordia University, David’s research involves exploring the ways in which technologically mediated communication my confuse arbitrary boundaries between living and non-living systems and enrich our ecological experience. David will be commencing a Master of Design at Concordia in September, 2016.
David Mongeau-Petitpas
Je m’appelle David Mongeau-Petitpas et je m’amuse avec l’Internet. Je suis développeur/associé chez Folklore et étudiant en Computation Arts à Concordia. On m’a décrit comme étant brutal dans mon approche avec les ordinateurs, en amont et frisé.
Dion Smith-Dokkie
[Painting and Drawing]
Dion Smith-Dokkie is a visual artist and painter based in Montreal. He is a member of West Moberly First Nations, located in northeastern British Columbia, and is currently pursuing a BFA in Painting and Drawing at Concordia. He holds a BA in Women’s Studies from the University of Victoria. He is interested in environmental futures, interpersonal/interspecies communication, science fiction and self-representation.
Eileen Peng
Eileen Peng is a third year student at Concordia University, majoring in Film Animation. As an aspiring 3D artist and animator, she is passionately pursuing the fields of game and film productions.
Elie Zananiri
[B.Sc. Computer Science/Computation Arts]
Elie Zananiri graduated from Concordia University with a major in Computer Science/Computation Arts and a minor in Mathematics & Statistics. His first passion is traditional stop-motion animation, but he can’t seem to stay away from computers and micro-controllers. His current research interests consist of combining all three domains through interactive video installations and unorthodox data visualizations. His films have been screened in North America at various festivals such as Fantasia, Spasm, and TromaDance. His new media projects have been presented at the SoukMachines festival and Dorkbot-Montreal symposiums. Elie currently works at Obx Labs as the lead developer on Citywide and NextText for Processing.
www.silentlycrashing.net
Elio Bidinost
[B.Sc. Computer Science/DFAR]
Elio is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Computer Science with a Major in Digital Image and Sound from Concordia University. Elio has worked with New Media technologies since the mid 1990′s, he is now focused on the manipulation and analyzation of “sound” within the public space. In the Spring of 2004 Elio developed a prototype “Vigilare”, utilizing both artistic and computation concepts to address “sound” in the public space.
Emma Forgues
[Specialization in Computation Arts]
Emma Forgues is a visual artist based in Montreal. She’s an undergraduate student pursuing a BFA in Computation Arts at Concordia University. She also works as a videographer. Her research and creation processes revolve around the uncanniness arising from the junction of the real and virtual worlds. She explores the innovations of technology and its social impact through video, sound, coding, audiovisual and performance projects. She believes that these tools are great vectors of communication and dissemination.
http://emmaforgues.ca/
Erica Perreault
[ Computation Arts]
Erica is a third year Undergraduate Student specializing in Computation Arts at Concordia University. She has a DEC in Publication Design and Hypermedia Technology from John Abbott College which sparked her interest in Web Design and Programming. Erica is currently exploring new branches of digital and electronic arts like 3D Modeling, Animation and Tangible Medias.
Frank Tsonis
[B.F.A. DFAR Specialization]
Born 1981. Live in Saudi Arabia until he was 14. Went to high School in Athens, Greece. Received a Specialization in Digital Image and Sound from Concordia University in Srping of 2004. Currently working, preparing for a masters degree in the Fall of 2004.
Frédéric Bouin
[Major in Computation Arts]
As a graduate from Concordia University’s design program, Frédéric has gained a broad perspective of the design world. Although his technical expertise lies in graphic arts and illustration he hopes to express his creative practice through all the different facets of this field. This is made obvious in his involvement in a large variety of different projects which include motion design, web design, new media projects, and tactile design.
www.fredericdesign.net
Gabriel Galindo
Being a designer, Gabriel’s practice focuses on creating memorable visual experiences through different means. Whether it is a pamphlet, a video or a tangible product, he wants the audience to feel, to remember and to appreciate the beauty of every work he designs. His vision is to take care of the user experience, the functionality of the product and the environment where the product is being handled. Those are key aspects for the product to be remarkable and unforgettable.
Gage K. Diabo
Gage K. Diabo is a Mohawk student from Kahnawake. After dabbling in amateur film making throughout his youth, he made the transition to the professional sphere as a third assistant director on the set of APTN’s fiction television series, Mohawk Girls, and as an associate producer on Roxann Whitebean’s short films, Legend of the Storm and The Paradigm. He is also an aspiring novelist, having written three unpublished novels by the age of 20. As a classically-trained pianist and stage director, he has worked extensively in the local music and performing arts community. He will be beginning his MA in First Peoples Literatures at Concordia University in the fall.
Hoda Adra
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Hugues Bruyère
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Hugues hybrid designer, programmer and technologist was born in Avignon, France. He holds an undergraduate degree in Electronic Technology and Industrial Computing from the University of Science in Montpellier, France. He has worked for several years as an application developer, print stream specialist and customer support manager for an ADF (Automated Document Factory) specialized company. Since the early 90s, he has been fascinated by digital media. In 2004, he left his job to immerse himself in his passion – graphic design and interaction design. Hugues is currently completing a BFA in Computation Arts at Concordia University, where he is exploring the medium of Technology. Hugues’ explorations into art and technology are pushing him to create media art projects involving data visualizations, computer vision, and human-computer-human interactions.
www.smallfly.com
Ian Arawjo
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
Ian Arawjo is a 19-year-old game designer, programmer, artist, and idling physicist. He has been to over 25 countries, and created two complete fictional universes, Karma Phala and Glitchman, both of which he is in the process of bringing to the world. His first game, ‘Kale In Dinoland’, was just featured by Apple on the App Store. He wishes he could just read physics textbooks all day, but sadly, he can’t.
Jasmine Eladas
Jasmine is a professional 3D animator from Montreal, training in 2D animation as well at Concordia University. She currently works on indie videogames.
Jonathan Joseph
[B.Sc. Computer Science/DFAR]
Jonathan graduated from the double major in DFAR and Computer Science in 2003. His principal contribution to OBX Labs is the ActiveText code that allows combining soft-type behaviours together, which he programmed shortly after graduation. He is now employed as a lead programmer with video game developer Artificial Mind and Movement. His interests include language, mythical archetypes, human relationships, humor, and mysticism.
Julia Eiger
[Sociology and Anthropology]
Julia Eiger is an Australian concept and 3D artist based in Montreal. She is pursuing a BA Joint Specialization in Sociology and Anthropology and Minor in Immigration Studies, with plans to go to law school and work with aboriginal and migrant communities. She has a background in psychology and multimedia arts, and has worked as a freelance artist specializing in character art for videogames and films since 2012. She is the co-founder and art director of an art studio, Eiskalt Kreativ, where she helps produce concept designs, 3D models and digital sculptures, illustrations, graphic novels, and short films for dystopian sci-fi and fantasy worlds. In her spare time, she mentors young artists, and is an active member of several game modding communities. While she hails from the land down under, she is also an avid world traveler and digital nomad, having visited numerous countries in every continent, carrying with her a strong passion for engaging in projects that allow her to traverse the intersections between visual art, technology, and social science.
www.juleiger.com/
Julia Wolfe
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Originally from Boston, Julia Wolfe is an illustrator, designer and programmer currently in her final year at Concordia studying Computation Arts. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning student newspaper, The Link. She specializes in design, creative interactivity and copy editing.
www.juliawolfedesign.com
Julian Glass-Pilon
[Computation Arts]
http://cvjulianglasspiloneng.webs.com/
Kahentawaks Tiewishaw
[Computation Arts]
Kahentawaks Tiewishaw is a Mohawk from Kanehsatake and a current undergrad student specializing in Computation Arts at Concordia University. She is an alumni of Skins 1.0 which was the first of many videogame workshops offered by Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace. It was through this workshop that she started to transform from being a traditional artist to a 3D/digital artist. She previously worked at Mega Bloks building and designing large brick sculptures for shows and events such as Comic-Con and Pax. https://kahentawaks2008.myportfolio.com/home
Kaia’tanó:ron Dumoulin Bush
[Indigenous Visual Culture, OCAD University]
Kaia’tanó:ron Dumoulin Bush is a Kanien’kehá/French-Canadian illustrator and visual artist from Montreal, Quebec. Currently, she is completing her BFA in Indigenous Visual Culture at OCAD University and has previously obtained DECs in Fine Arts and Illustration & Design at Dawson College. Her personal artwork deals with sexuality, violence, identity, and politics. While professionally, she loves collaborating with clients who seek to enrich Indigenous communities and empower Indigenous youth. kaiatanoron.format.com kaiatanorondumoulin@gmail.com Instagram: @owlerfish
Katia Minarikova
[B.Sc. Computer Science/DFAR]
Katia Minarikova is a digital enthusiast who wears pink eyeglasses and eats databases for breakfast. She founded Echo-Stream in 2002 followed by PixelWarehouse in 2004, both companies specializing in high end web technologies, multimedia design and business solutions for the commercial sector. Echo-Stream has received numerous awards and grants including the Excellence Certificat from the Quebec Entrepreneurship Contest, Montreal Mayor’s Foundation for Youth and SAJE. She is currently working as a programmer analyst for Montreal’s high profile production studio BlueSponge. In September, Katia is commencing her MBA at the HEC.
Laura Sirois
[B.F.A. Design]
Laura Sirois is designer, artist and 2012 graduate of Concordia University’s Design Art Program. Working mainly in graphic design, she engages with many mediums and creative projects, from hands-on drawing, painting and woodworking to 3D modelling and digital image-making. Her artwork explores the changing nature of public and private alongside technological innovation, by utilizing performance, web-presence and printed image. She has worked as a designer for DW product development Inc, as a design intern for Obx Labs, and as an educator at the National Gallery and the Canada Agriculture museum. She is currently keeping shop at Fait Ici boutique and facilitating art workshops at Nazareth House.
www.hi-lo.ca
Lianne Maritzer
[Specialization in Computation Arts]
Lianne is graduate of the Interactive Media Arts program at Dawson College and is currently enrolled in the Computation Arts program at Concordia University. She is interested in Video Game Design, 3D animation, and Graphic Design. Lianne is a dependable, organized person and is always willing to lend her assistance where needed, no matter the challenge.
www.liannemaritzer.com
Lucas LaRochelle
Lucas LaRochelle is a multidisciplinary designer, artist, and researcher using their work as a tool to both critique contemporary culture and explore tangible alternatives. Their work uses digital media, graphic design, clothing and wearable technology as a means of examining and manipulating the interactions between the (queer) body, technology and the built environment. They received a certificate in Co-Design from the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences in 2016, and are currently completing their BFA in Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University. Their project, Queering The Map, received an Honorary Mention for the 2018 Prix Ars Electronica and was longlisted for the Lumen Prize for Digital Art and the Kantar Information is Beautiful Awards. Their work has been featured on CityLab, CBC Arts, Broadly, AIGA Eye On Design, I-D, Paper, INTO, Yorokobu, Numerama, and Project Myopia amongst others. Their work and writing has been published in Échelles, Perfect Strangers and Accent.
www.lucaslarochelle.com
Lucie Bélanger
[B.Sc. Computer Science/Computation Arts]
Lucie graduated from Computer Science at Concordia University. Her scientific education and her interest for computation arts brought her to experiment the blurry boundary between art and technology. Her main interest lies in exploring and experimenting the relations between humans and machines. Her work combines software and electronics into immersive installations, interactive video, interactive electronic sculptures and experimental interfaces. She started a Master’s degree at Université de Montréal in which she studies computer vision and its applications in immersive environments and interactive interfaces.
Lysanne Bellemare
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
A Montrealer with a love for Rock’nRoll, the German language and most importantly images wether they be moving or still. Her work includes drawing, graphic and Web design, computation, typography and bookmaking. In the fall of 2006 she will leave Canada for Germany a second time to study at the Bauhaus-Weimar Universität before returning to Montreal to finish a BFA at Concordia University.
Magalie Coulombe-Noel
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Magalie Coulombe-Noel is a Computation Arts specialization student in second year. She also studie at “École Supérieur De Mode” (UQAM) in fashion design (B.A.C). Her interest in wearable and the knowledge she got from her studies in fashion design (D.E.C) and graphic design (A.E.C) push her to explore creation possibilities given by Mr.Softie in textile projects.
Marie-Claire Lantin
[B.F.A Intermedia/Cyberarts]
Marie-Claire is currently studying in her second year at Concordia University (major in Intermedia/Cyberarts, minor in Computation arts). Previously, she obtained a DEC in photography. Her work fluctuates mainly between video, print media and photography.
Maroussia Levesque
[[B.F.A. Computation Arts]]
Maroussia was born with a built-in espresso addiction. She holds a BFA in Computation Arts from Concordia University. Her curriculum is oriented towards exploring new social configurations through technologies. She worked in grassroots organisations in Canada and Brazil and is motivated by the potential of subcultures as social emancipators. She is the recipient of the F. P. Higgins bursary, and won the first prize of Jeunes Critiques en Arts Visuels and the Computation Arts proze. Her work has been published in Le Devoir. She joined Obx studios in 2005, and is currently the conceptual lead. maroussia is learning her fifth language, and counting.
Matthieu Tremblay
[B.Sc. Computation Arts]
Matthieu Tremblay is a Computation Arts major in his third year. He has a background in software engineering and is a freelance web designer. His areas of interest include web programming, music, typography, photography, physical computing, installation art, and architecture. In his free time he reads science-fiction novels and likes to rock out in rhythm video games.
Max Young
[B.F.A. Design]
Max Young is currently in his fourth year at Concordia University with a major in Design and minor in Art History. He specializes in branding, layout and packaging design.
www.cargocollective.com/maxyoung
Megan Whyte
[B.F.A Art Education Specialization]
Megan, an artist and art educator from the Mohawk Nation of Kahnawake, is in her third year of the Art Education Specialization at Concordia University. Her growing curriculum, consisting of multimedia visual art and exploratory media, is presented as teaching tools that address issues of Indigenous rights, cultural traditions, and hybrid identities.
www.meganwhyte.com
Michael Hemingway
Michael is a multimedia developer, designer and photographer pursuing a BFA in Computation Arts at Concordia University. His interest in the new led him to web design and development, where novel tech is always easy to find. In his personal artistic practice, the distillation of art media into its reproducible or essential core, to the end of creating generators for it, is of great interest to him. In his spare time he’s often found tinkering on a litany of little hardware or software side projects.
Michael Sheeman
[B.F.A. DFAR Specialization]
Mike is currently completing his BA in the Digital Image & Sound Speciaization program at Concordia. His areas of intrest are focused in Type and Narrative, where each have been studied and re-interpreted from their traditional qualities into the digital medium. Respect to the traditional qualities of Art & Design, particularily the Modernist era, are influential in his aproach. Stylistic influences can be found in the contemporary arts of animation and graffitti. Prior to attending Concordia, Mike studied Technical Illustration & Animation at Seneca Arts College at York University Toronto.
Milin Li
[AEC in Multimedia | Computation Arts]
Milin Li is currently enrolled Computation Art at Concordia University. She has completed an AEC in Multimedia from Inter-Dec College and has worked as a graphic designer since then. She enjoys traveling the world to discover new inspirations and to meet new people. Living in various countries and learning the different cultures has helped broaden her thinking and given her many inspirations.
milin.yolasite.com/
Mohannad Al-Khatib
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Mohannad is in his final year of Computation Arts at Concordia University. His passion is 3D creature development. Over the past few years he has worked on a variety of gaming projects as a modeler, digital sculptor, and texture artist. Mohannad grew up in Saudi Arabia where Art is highly unappreciated; however, this fact allowed him to independently develop his own unique style which is visible throughout his work.
www.psycho-designs.com
Naiade Aoun
[Computation Arts]
Naïade is currently enrolled in the Computation Arts program at Concordia University, with a previous diploma in Advertising from Université de Montreal. She has been experimenting with visual arts, programming and electronics in the last couple of years.
www.naiade-aoun.com
Nather Aylomen
My name is Nather Aylomen. I enjoy 3D modeling and texturing. I hope to have an independant game company one day as long as I can find people who will enjoy working with me and probably working free for a while, unless we could get some kind of funding of course. I’ve just recently taken Computation arts in Processing (Cart 253) in the fall at Concordia University. Just to see a glimpse of what Programming would be like. I also like making some music as well, and playing/editing with Photoshop. The main kind of art style I really enjoy is Futuristic like Tron/Mass Effect/Star Wars. If I could somehow combine all of them together and make my own clothes, that would be amazing.
Neko Wong-Houle
[Film Animation]
Neko Wong-Houle (she/they) is a member of the Blackfoot Kainai Nation with mixed Canadian-Chinese ancestry and is currently working towards an undergraduate degree in film animation. Their interests reside primarily in Indigenous-informed storytelling on the themes of family, queerness, intersectionality and mixed-race/cultural identity.
Nicole Lin
Nicole Lin has just started her first year in Computation Arts at Concordia University. She is interested in video game development, programming, and digital art and is excited to explore new mediums during her studies at Concordia.
Raed Mousa
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
While completing his degree in Computational Arts at the University of Concordia, Raed was the designer for Obx Labs. His interest lies within the possibilities to cross the boundaries between uncommon media. Raed has a background in the classic arts of painting, drawing and sculpture, but also a passion for industrial, graphic and fashion design. Recent projects include “responsive furry creation” that emanate purring sounds or nervous actions, and grand performances involving food and human bonding. Raed enjoys exploring themes that relate to childhood, nostalgia, and human interaction through different societies and through growth. He is a gentle artist with a strong conviction, love and him, and he will love you.
www.raedmousa.com
Ralph Nakhle
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
Ralph is a second year Computation Arts student. After earning a Marketing Bachelor from JMSB, and working in the field for two years he decided to pursue his longing passion for the arts and technology. He is now focusing on Game design and development, while sharpening his 3D skills, and pursuing his newly found passion for programming. The next step for him is a combination of his current bachelor with Computer Science to earn a double major.
www.ralphnakhle.com
Ramy Daghstani
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Raymond Caplin
Raymond is an illustrator and animator who loves creating animated films. He enjoys exploring various artistic media and wants to pursue a career as an animator. His first film, In Your Heart, was awarded Best Experimental Film at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival as well as the Best Animated Film at the Arlington International Film Festival.
Roxanne Sirois
Roxanne Sirois is a Montreal based artist and an undergraduate student within the Bachelor of Fine Arts who is pursuing a double major in Painting and Drawing as well as Computation Arts. Since the start of her degree, Roxanne has been passionate about experimental aesthetics and has explored a wide range of multidisciplinary art forms such as studio arts, photography, 3D, game aesthetics, and user interfaces, amongst many others. Currently, Roxanne is focusing on expanding her skills within the game industry.
Roxwel Ruiz
[Major in Computation Arts]
Roxwel Ruiz is a Computer Science graduate from Vanier College, and has recently fulfilled his credit requirements for his degree in Computation Arts at Concordia University. His main interests include programming, drawing, and 3d modeling. Roxwel’s main area of expertise is programming, but he also has interest in drawing, 3D modeling, and game development.
www.roxwelruiz.com/portfolio
Sahar Homami
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
Sahar Homami is currently in her last year of Computation Arts at Concordia University. She has spent the last 2 years specializing in 3D design and digital video creation. Her passion is 3D modeling, texturing, animating and post production. Currently she is participating in a number of projects to create video games and digital videos, out of which one is the TimeTraveller™ project at OBX labs.
Sam Bourgault
Sam Bourgault (Montreal) studies Computation Arts at Concordia University (2019) and has a Bachelor in Physics Engineering (2015). Embedding coding, video, sound and games, her practice involves constant back and forth between art and science and explores how technology impacts and shapes the social and individual experience one has with machines and algorithms. Contrast is used as a process and method to raise critical awareness; Control and submission, real and simulation, mass and solitude, and instructions and randomness are strategies to convey the uncanniness arising at the junction of the real and the virtual worlds. http://sambourgault.com
Sarah Hontoy-Major
[Specialization in Computation Arts]
Sarah Hontoy-Major is a transdisciplinary computational and tangible designer from Kanien’kehá:ka/southern Quebec, and is a white settler of Belgian, Irish and French-Canadian descent. They have a Political Science degree (2017) from Dawson College and a Fashion design degree (2020) from Marie-Victorin College. They have been pursuing an undergraduate specialization in Computation Arts in Concordia University since 2020. Through their research on speculative artistic tool-making, they have been a research assistant for Ying Gao and for the UQAM Diament Research Chair in e-Mental Health, respectively in wearable and AI generative design. They have more recently joined the IFRC, AbTeC and Abundant Intelligences research programs exploring and developing Indigenous epistemologies and futurism in tech.
sarahhm.art
Sarah Lauzon
[Computation Arts Specialization]
Sarah Lauzon is a graduate from Interactive Media Arts at Dawson College, and currently an undergraduate student in the Computation Arts – Specialization at Concordia University. She’s always had the desire to pursue many different areas of the arts, considering her extensive experience in set building, photography, modeling, light and sound design, and interactive art. Computation Arts has allowed her to further expand her knowledge and passion for combining physical and digital art in her works.
Serge Maheu
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
Serge has a B.Eng. degree in computer engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal. In the last years, while working on various projects as an embeded system and programming specialist, he began experimenting with photography, video, visual art and sound composition. He is now studying at Concordia in Computation Arts, with the objective to merge his abilities to pursue new art experiments.
www.sergemaheu.com
Sharon Ku
[Design]
Sharon is a graphic designer, web designer, game designer, and illustrator based in Montreal. She is currently expanding her design toolkit by pursuing a Bachelor’s in Design at Concordia with a minor in Game Design. She strives to design with care for communities near and dear to her heart. Passionate about education, she was a teaching assistant for two Concordia courses that introduced students to programming fundamentals while encouraging experimentation and play in projects. In her free time, she likes to go outside and greet her neighbourhood squirrels, play the piano, and make cute drawings.
sharon-ku.github.io/portfolio/
Shirley Ceravolo
[Fibres & Material Practices]
Research Assistant Shirley Ceravolo (artist name: Swarm) is our Production Assistant and Social Media Coordinator! She is an undergraduate in the Fibres & Material Practices program at Concordia, as well as a practising artist making artistic inquiries into astrophysical concepts. While writing and posting on our social media accounts is her main job, she (like most of our RA’s) is multitalented, so she works in Second Life as well, helping out with machinimas and AbTeC Gallery. You can find her every week at Activating AbTeC Island as the avatar Abbi Tigerfish! Portrait taken by Selina Vesely
Simon-Albert Boudreault
Simon-Albert is a Ubisoft Montreal expat who specializes in level design. He’s been teaching narrative design in the collegial sphere before joining Concordia as an undergrad in Computation Arts. When he’s not buried under his ridiculous workload, he’s usually seen at local gamedev events.
www.saboudreault.ca
Tania Alvarez
[B.F.A. Bachelor in Fine Arts. Major in Design]
Born in 1985 and raised in Mexico City, Tania combined a Fine Arts education with Design by studying in Vancouver, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, and Montreal. In 2009 she graduated with a BFA from Concordia University and in 2010 from a Postgraduate study in Typography in Barcelona. Her work with Obx Labs as an undergraduate student was focused on experimentation within type related projects. After working for two years in Spain as a graphic designer and illustrator, Tania returned to Mexico city to pursue an independent design practice.
www.zaldivartania.com
Tara Miller
Tara Miller is an artist and animator from the Maliseet First Nation. She is trained in multiple art forms including painting, printmaking, and sculpture, and enjoys telling stories through her art, no matter the medium. She has studied and curated gallery exhibits for Indigenous art, a result of her passion for learning from and promoting modern Indigenous artists. Tara studies animation at Sheridan College with the goal of furthering herself as an animator and storyteller. Tara leads the artwork and animation for Achimostawinan Games, a majority-Indigenous group dedicated to creating video games for Indigenous people by Indigenous people.
Thahn Pham
[B.Sc. Computer Science/DFAR]
Thahn Pham is a 2004 graduate of Concordia’s Design Art program with a minor in Digital Image/Sound and the Fine Arts. She specializes in web and print design with a special interest for the visual arts and cultural industries. Thanh’s work has been exhibited at the Belgo Building (Lotus Eaters Art Gallery), the Concordia Visual Arts Gallery, and the S.A.T. In Sept. she is starting a second degree in Computer Science at Concordia.
Thierry Giles
[B.F.A. Computation Arts]
Completing a bachelor in Computation Arts at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada and a one year project in Media Architecture at Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany, Thierry Giles found his privileged medium of expression in interactive design and game development. His research emphasizes non-traditional applications of digital technologies through developing awareness of personal narratives exchange in networked societies. His recent realizations encompass mobile technology street games, multi-touch collaborative interface and place-based social exchange as the basis for creating knowledge transfer and weaving individual’s memory. His work has been published at ACM multimedia, ICHIM and E-culture.
www.thierrygiles.net
Unna Regino
[Design]
Unna is currently finishing her BFA in Design at Concordia University. Her evolving interests include typography, photography, illustration, branding, and visual design in all its forms. She has a special emphasis and interest towards intersectionality and humble, participative design. Prior to attending Concordia, Unna spent time studying graphic and multimedia design in her home country, the Philippines.
Valerie Bourdon
Valerie is a second year undergraduate student in the Specialization in Computation Arts program at Concordia. She has a DEC in Graphic Design from Dawson College, and has experience in the field of design in creative to corporate settings.
www.valeriebourdon.com
Victor Ivanov
[Computation Arts]
Victor is a multidisciplinary designer and developer studying Computation Arts at Concordia University. Making use of combinations of varied sonic and visual products through interaction and behaviour, Victor aims to architect rich narratives discussing his philosophical interests and curiosities. His experience with media production, covering audio production, 2D and 3D visual art, as well as web and game development, allow him to utilize a series of media as a means to craft universes that house these narratives.
www.v-os.ca
Vincent Villemaire
[B.F.A Computation Arts]
Vincent is a 3D artist living in Montreal. He is currently finishing a BFA at Concordia in Computation Arts after graduating with an AEC from Centre NAD in Special Effects for Film and Television. He specializes in 3D character animation and am interested in joining ambitious professional projects. Over the last three years he developed an interest in working on films and video games. He worked on several short films with various styles, ranging from cartoon to more life-like animations, but he is also proficient in modeling and shader creation. During his studies at Concordia, he was involved in the development of a fully 3D iPad game, of which he was responsible for the creation and animation of the main character. This project gave him his first look at video game design and development, and inspired he to do more. Team projects appeal to him particularly because of the knowledge sharing that is usually involved.
www.vincentvillemaire.com
Vivian Lim
[B.Sc Computer Engineering Co-op]
Walter Scott
[B.F.A. Studio Arts]
Attending Concordia for a B.F.A in Studio Arts, with a special interest in Print Media. I’m a research assistant specializing in the graphic design. In my free time I enjoy making posters for punk/psych shows, and watching TMZ.
xlowjoyx.blogspot.com
Wan Hua (Wawa) Li
[BFA Computational Arts minor in Anthropology]
mediums are dialects; BFA Computational Arts minor in Anthropology, Tai Chi (Yang Form) under shifu Grace Chui, Fashion Design at Université-Du-Québec-à-Montréal. she/her
wawali.ca
Yannick Assogba
[B.Sc. Computer Science/Computation Arts]
Yannick Assogba is about to complete his BSc in Computer Science with a minor in Computation Arts at Concordia University. He is currently exploring the permeable interfaces between science and art, creativity and technologies of expression. His interests include [inter]active art, electroacoustics, software development and the relationships between societies and technology.
Staff Alumni
Manuelle Freire
[ M.A. and PhD in Art Education – Concordia University, in Research-Creation: Media Arts and Design research development]
As Associate Program Manager, Manuelle oversees partnership and network development with local and international academic, cultural and governmental institutions. She develops research-creation outreach opportunities, student engagement and mentoring strategies. She works closely with the Senior Program Manager for team management and with the Finance Manager on activities budget forecasting and reporting to granting agencies. Manuelle Freire (PhD, MA) is also Part-Time Faculty in the departments of Design and Computation Arts and Arts Education at Concordia University. More information about her background and expertise
Nima Navab
Since his years at OCAD studying Environmental Design, Nima Navab has become increasingly focused on spatial design, and more specifically, examining the role of art and technology in enhancing both intimate and large-scale public interactions. Through a variety of mediums and means, Nima investigates the various roles humans play in shaping both the ecological, political and sensorial landscapes of our built environment. His increased attention to everyday spatial interactions has brought to light the importance of field research, discussion and collaboration with those occupying the space as well as the space itself, highlighting the importance of spatial experience and theoretical research, both which continue to form the basis of his creative process. He is a research associate at the Topological Media Lab.
www.nimanavab.com/
Vanessa Raymond
[BA Cultural Studies, Hampshire College & MA Arctic Governance, University of Alaska Fairbanks]
Leasi Vanessa Lee Raymond is the Senior Program Manager for Abundant Intelligences Program at Concordia University. She is a socio-technologist who is passionate about culture, political science, data ethics, and Indigenous data sovereignty. She has a decade of experience building software for managing and visualizing Arctic environmental data. Raymond is the co-chair for Interagency Arctic Research Policy Collaboration (IARPC)’s Data Management team, co-chair for the international Arctic Data Committee, and expert committee member for the US Arctic Observing Network. She holds a M.A. in Arctic Governance with a focus on Arctic Security from University of Alaska Fairbanks and a B.A. in Cultural Studies from Hampshire College. Raymond is proud of her Samoan heritage.