Leila Fatemi  is a contemporary visual artist currently based in Tkaronto/Toronto. Through a combination of material and textual research, her practice unfolds across a variety of mediums including photography, collage, archival materials, textile, pattern and printmaking. Bridging themes of postcolonialism, gender, and spirituality, Fatemi’s work challenges viewers to consider their role in relation to the representational accuracy and cultural consequences of Orientalized subjects. Her work offers alternative perspectives surrounding the colonial gaze, ethnic representation, and collective numinous experiences by employing methods of subversion and reclamation as tools to resist imperialist legacies.

Fatemi received a BFA in Image Arts: Photography Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University. Her work has been exhibited in Canada and internationally and has been featured in online and print media. She was the first-place recipient of the Clyde & Co. Art Award for excellence in visual art, a finalist for the Toronto Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award in 2020 and is the 2022-2023 Black, Indigenous, People(s) of Colour Residency recipient at Open Studio.

Maziar Ghaderi is an award-winning media artist, filmmaker, and educator specializing in projection mapping, creative technology, and immersive storytelling. With over a decade of experience, Maziar has taught media production at OCAD University, the China Academy of Art, and Toronto Metropolitan University. His innovative projects, recognized by institutions like the MIT Media Lab, blend cutting-edge technologies with artistic expression. Maziar has raised over $340,000 in funding for digital media initiatives and collaborated with renowned artists, including Marina Abramović. Passionate about empowering creators, he brings a wealth of expertise to this workshop, guiding participants to explore the art of projection mapping.