Artist Talks
ICAI hosts an Artist Talk in-person and/or virtually where the artist hosts a live chat with the public about their art, their craft, their career, and their artistic process. They answer questions to help guide immigrant and newcomer arts professionals on their own journey into the arts sector of Alberta. Through these conversations about artistic challenges and triumphs, our community shares knowledge that can unleash growth and reflection.
Discover the obstacles they overcame and the triumphs they celebrated. In this transformative exchange, our community unites to empower, inspire, and nurture the vibrant arts scene in Alberta.
Luis Agudelo (Otro Futuro)
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Artist Talk & Open Studio in partnership with CAAF - Calgary Allied Arts Foundation
Date
Sept 26th, 2025Time
6:30 - 7:30 pm MSTVenue
cSPACE -
Luis Agudelo, also known as otro.futuro, is a visual artist and designer based in Calgary, originally from Medellín, Colombia. His work explores the relationship between image, space, and urban experience through photography, editorial design, and installation. Often working with collage, he employs both digital and analog methods to reframe everyday visuals and construct new compositions. His practice is strongly influenced by early 20th-century design movements such as the Bauhaus and Dada, particularly their experimental approaches to image-making and visual communication.
Luis holds a degree in Visual Arts from the ITM in Medellín, where he concentrated on mixed media and contemporary image theory. Beyond his main practice, he develops personal collage projects, collects vintage art books, and delves into themes of identity, memory, and visual meaning-making. He is especially drawn to editorial design, video editing, and the creation of visual identities for musicians and brands.
Raha Jazayeri
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Artist Talk & Open Studio in partnership with CAAF - Calgary Allied Arts Foundation
Date
August 29, 2024Time
6 - 7:30 pm MSTVenue
RGO Tree House, cSPACE Marda Loop -
Raha Jazayeri, formerly known as Somayeh, is an accomplished artist originally from Tehran, Iran, now residing in Calgary, Canada. From a young age, Raha was deeply captivated by painting, and her passion for the craft has been a constant throughout her life. Despite initially pursuing a career in pharmacy during her university years, her love for painting remained unwavering. In 2007, Raha made the pivotal decision to transition into painting professionally, a path that eventually led her to fully embrace the world of art. Seeking to refine her skills and deepen her artistic journey, she traveled to Italy, where she participated in a portrait course at the renowned Angel Academy of Art in Florence. This experience further solidified her dedication to a lifelong pursuit of art, marking a significant chapter in her evolution as an artist. Today, Raha continues to create works that reflect her profound connection to the artistic process, drawing inspiration from her diverse experiences and rich cultural background.
J Scope
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Date
February 22, 2024Time
4-5 pm MSTVenue
Online (Zoom) -
J Scope has left an indelible mark on the music scene, having been a quarter-finalist in the Ukrainian National Eurovision song competition. His performances on some of Ukraine's most prominent stages and at Canadian festivals, including The Junos after party, Rap Nights, and Kayday Festival, have solidified his reputation as a "real hip hop machine." J Scope is a force to be reckoned with, celebrated for his ability to "rock any dancefloor.
Santosh Korthiwada
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Date
February 24, 2023Time
6-7 pm MSTVenue
Online (Zoom) -
Santosh Korthiwada is a Calgary-based award-winning fine-art photographer and educator. He likes to explore the ordinary and everyday subject matter. Santosh did M.F.A at Academy of Art University, San Francisco, and several galleries and exhibitions featured his work across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. He writes, teaches and conducts workshops on visual storytelling.
Saeid Asgarian
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Date
October 27, 2023Time
6-7 pm MSTVenue
Online (Zoom) -
Immerse yourself in the intricacies of Saeid's art, craft, career, and creative journey. With a master's degree in theatre directing from the University of Tehran and ongoing graduate work in Theatre Studies at the University of Calgary, Saeid Asgarian brings a unique perspective on the role of theatre as a social tool for integration.
Saeid has a rich portfolio of directing, writing, dramaturging, acting, and stage designing, with notable productions such as "Room No. 3" (2022), "Life" (2021), "60 Minutes Minus One" (2019), and more. His innovative approach includes participatory and laboratory theatre, pushing boundaries to better understand what theatre can do for society and humanity.
Farzaneh Azizpour
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Date
August 17, 2023Time
6-7 pm MSTVenue
Online (Zoom) -
Farzaneh Azizpour is an artist, who specializes in figurative expressive oil painting, but is also experienced in fashion design, education, and academic activities.
Her childhood was spent in Iran, where she got a master's degree in painting. She was awarded the ten bests among competitors in France. Farzaneh can share her experience of participating in international exhibitions since she did it in the USA, France, Italy, and Turkey.
She has been working some projects such as Gaze, Gap generation and Claustrophobia focusing on people around herself. Instructing Kid’s creativity in painting is her another activity.
All the years of studying, teaching and drawing coupled with her academic experiences, have given her the drive and inspiration to be also a fashion designer. Mrs. Layth is her fashion design collection retrieved from Iranian historical monuments.
Recently, she has chosen Canada as her new home from July 2020. She believes that art could be a common language among multicultural people to better understanding each other regardless of beliefs, religion or differences.