SPECIAL EVENT

Mika Benesh is a designer working between Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) and Gadigal Land (Sydney). He makes chains, charms, and rings, and is interested in protective amulets. In addition to making jewellery, Mika writes, draws, and makes prints. He is currently pursuing an MA in Jewish Studies at Concordia University.

Long Bui’s (they/he) art practice ranges from photography to poetry and graphic design. Their work explores identity through lenses of queerness and Buddhist mindfulness. They understand that change is the only true given, and their practice is an attempt to grapple with the nature of impermanence— or vô thường—while also learning their own place and that of others within a diasporic collective.

Victor is an artist and designer who explores different mediums, with a focus on ceramics, glass, and metal. His work often explores themes of anthropomorphism, cuteness as a form of defiance, and biomorphism. His pieces are characterized by a playful, imaginative aesthetic as well as a subtle and distinctive touch of humor, intrinsic components of his identity and artistic expression.

Yael Ezerzer is an artist based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal exploring images and the relationship between cycles, process and the temporal. Working primarily with photography, video, and installation, she delves into themes of continuous happening, informed by light and the ordinary. She most recently completed her BFA in Photography at Concordia University (2023) and has shown her work in spaces around Montréal, including Eastern Bloc (2020), Maison de la Culture Janine Sutto (2023) and Festival Regarde (2024).

Lauren Francescone is an American artist who has been living in Montréal since 2021. Her glass and ceramic works are designed to call their own utility into question and explore beauty, sensuality, and decoration. The principles of architecture and design provide a framework for her approach. She publishes and designs Temperatures, an occasional publication about artists working in clay.

Jon Knowles is an artist and cultural worker. He was born in Oshawa, Ontario. He lives in Montréal and has been Exhibitions Manager at the PHI Foundation since 2016.

Manifold Object Text (MOT) offers a curated selection of unique used objects and books. Sourced by Tennyson Graham and Nicolas Castonguay, MOT’s selection revolves around their respective areas of interest.

Based in Chile, Mercvria is a visual communication agency for the development of collective thinking around common causes. Its base project is the homonymous mural magazine that crosses languages ​​and emphasizes political and spiritual ideas. Mercvria develops campaigns, publications and collaborations with artists, mainly occupying public space.

Projet commun
Projet commun is a non-profit cultural organization that develops artistic projects and exhibitions through an experimental collaborative approach. It brings together artists, curators, and audiences to form cohorts that experiment with collaborative work in the reflection, creation, production, and dissemination of content. Partnerships are also established with exhibition spaces to present the joint projects and to continue exchanges and the sharing of ideas with a broader public, as well as with other key players in the museum, artistic, and cultural ecosystem.

Charlotte Guirestante Ghomeshi
Charlotte Ghomeshi is a visual artist living and working between Montreal and Saint-Sauveur. Through photography and video, she draws from her own memories and those of her loved ones to weave narratives that explore various existential and ineffable questions. Her projects intertwine themes related to intimacy, family relationships, and humanity’s broader connections to nature and death. Since this fall, she has been pursuing a master’s degree in photography at Concordia University. Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions, notably at Caravansérail (Rimouski) and Parc Offsite (Montréal) in collaboration with Projet commun, as well as in several group exhibitions. Charlotte is also the founder and curator of the Tabloïde project.

Orise Jacques-Durocher
Orise Jacques-Durocher is an artist who lives and works in Montréal, where she obtained a BFA from Concordia University (2020). Through sculpture and installation, her experimental ceramic practice investigates and reimagines our understanding of objects. An allegorical approach, reminiscent of fables, often lies at the heart of the scenes she creates, allowing her to explore critical and poetic reflections with a subtle hint of humor. Her work has been featured in both group and solo exhibitions in Québec, New Brunswick, and Denmark, during a residency at the Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center.

Sarah Turcotte
Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and a Master’s in Museology, Sarah Turcotte is completing a PhD in Museology, Mediation, and Heritage at the Université du Québec à Montréal, focusing on the articulation of the politico-economic role of major art museums with their scientific, educational, and social missions. Her analyses have been published in Revue animation, territoires et pratiques socioculturelles and Digital studies/Le champ numérique. She has presented her work at national conferences such as Acfas and internationally, with the Technical University of Crete in Greece and the Iberoamericana University in Mexico. The quality of her research has led her to be a finalist for the Roland-Arpin Award, win the Marcel-Masse Scholarship, and receive support from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC). Alongside her PhD, Sarah founded the organization Projet commun to experiment with collaborative development in the arts and culture. Curatorial proposals developed within her organization have been exhibited at Produit Rien, Parc Offsite/Eli Kerr gallery, and the Plural Fair. Through her initiatives, Sarah won the 2024 Prix Relève from the Société des musées du Québec (SMQ). She has also contributed to various professional works, including texts published in Vie des arts, an exhibition catalog from Dazibao Art Center, and on the blog of the PHI Foundation, where she worked for over three years.

Annika Tajchakavit-Azar grew up in Saint-Hilaire and now lives in Montreal. She completed her BFA in Art History and Visual Arts at Concordia University. Her work draws inspiration from nature, memories, food, and her experience as a mixed Asian and Arab woman. She practices photography, printmaking, and drawing. Tajchakavit-Azar’s creative process is constantly evolving but is primarily based on observing her surroundings. She has exhibited at the EXPRESSION Centre in Saint-Hyacinthe (2021) and more recently at the Fais-moi l’art shop (2024).

Assiyah Jamilla Touré is a multidisciplinary artist of West African descent. They were born and raised on Skwxwú7mesh land and are now currently based in Kanien’kehà:ka territory. They make one of a kind pieces of wearable art and ephemeral objects, as well as prints and posters of multimedia work.

Tyra Maria Trono is a Filipina artist, cultural worker, and independent curator based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Studio Arts, Photography at Concordia University. She is the recipient of the Lande Award in Photography and the 2023 winner of Roloff Beny Fellowship in Photography. Her artistic work focuses on exploring embodied experiences and narratives, often linking them to culturally significant artifacts in specific geographic contexts. She delves into questions surrounding one's perception formation during the cultural identification process and how belonging to a diasporic community alters this trajectory. Trono utilizes archival research and oral histories to highlight the enduring impact of storytelling.

Fiona Vail (she/they), a settler born on unceded land in Sɨpekne’katik, Mi’kma’ki (Annapolis Valley, NS), is an aspiring scholar and artist now living in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal). She recently graduated with an honours BA in Art History from McGill University, where her research focused on naturecultures, multispecies relationalities, and linguistic coloniality in contemporary art. In their personal practice, they use mixed media techniques to re-imagine place and species at the intersections of “classical” and personal mythologies.

Wendy-Alexina Vancol is a Canadian Haitian illustrator, and painter based in her hometown of Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. Her work challenges stereotypical depictions of black bodies in predominantly white spaces. Using surreal imagery and dynamic color palettes, she spotlights her black identity and explores themes of inclusivity, family relations, marginalization, social pressure and prejudice.

Vancol is a recipient of the CUAA Fine Arts Award (2021), has presented a solo exhibition at the Maison de la culture de NDG in Montreal (2022-2023), is part of Concordia University’s Art Volt collection (2024) and completed a half-year residency at the Jano Lapin Gallery (2024). She participated in the creation of a collective artwork for Loto-Québec, which was showcased at Place-des-Arts in Montreal (2024). Vancol received her BFA from Concordia University in Studio Arts (2021). She recently showcased artworks as part of the 7th edition of the artch festival (2024).

Dan Yang (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Montreal. Dan’s spheres of practice span ceramics, 3D printing, and sculptural installation. Her work explores the intricate interplay between abjection, otherness, and uncanniness by exploring recent 3D and digital technology. At the PHI Foundation’s Holiday Market, Dan will showcase her recent works of porcelain anime heads, 3D printed jewelry and candle holders.