InglewooDIY Festival presents:
ASIAN CREATIVES YYC
SHOWCASE & MARKET

Sunday, May 25, 2025 @ 11AM - 4PM
Festival Hall - 1215 10 Ave SE
FREE Admission

For Asian Heritage Month, this event is a showcase and market that features local Asian artists from all different disciplines: illustration, craft, film, animation, music and more. There will be a screening of short films by and about Calgary Asian artists that will be looping throughout the day, as well as a marketplace where you can buy works directly from Asian creatives in the city. Come meet the artists and celebrate Asian Heritage Month with us!

FEATURED ARTISTS

CHIKA ANDO

Chika Ando has been creating and selling her illustrations since graduating from the Alberta University of the Arts in 2008. Even before art school, drawing was always her way of processing raw emotions. The vulnerability she expresses in her work is so honest that many people find it deeply relatable - she often hear comments like, “I feel like you’re drawing about me!” Feedback like this motivates her to keep pursuing her passion as a career.

VINSON CHAN

Vinson is a multidisciplinary animator and filmmaker based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary, Alberta). His body of work spans various forms of animation, live-action short films, and—lo—even interactive XR projects. Frankly, he also works a lot with wieners. Don't @ him (unless you mustard up some real good questions to grill him about).

KELLY CHOO

Kelly Choo is a Korean sand artist based in Calgary, Canada. With over a decade of experience, she transforms light and sand into powerful visual stories. Kelly is also the founder of T.SAND, a unique studio that combines sand art with tea experiences to create moments of healing and creativity.

PHILLIP HA

Phillip Ha is an amigurumi designer, creating crochet inspired by video games and anime..
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EKS.REI

EKS.REI draws on multiple media to interrogate the undercurrents and patterns that inform his view of the world.Working primarily with sumi ink, charcoal and porcelain, his style is informed by a fusion of calligraphy, tattooing and graffiti; playing with motifs in these practices to find vivid expression for his interest in philosophy, psychology, and East Asian mythology.

TENFINGERSWORKSHOP.CA

Lai Yeuk Hei (Bonnie Lai) is the founder of TenfingersWorkshop.ca. Her hobby is using her 'ten fingers' to create miniature works with different methods and styles. Her art aims to preserve her local culture and childhood memories..

THE PEARL CLUB

The Pearl Club is an artist collective from AUArts, consisting of five artists who share a Chinese cultural background. Phoenix Ning, Ziyi Zhangli, and Shuo Liu are current Graphic Design majors; Mathilda Meng recently completed her MFA; and Jessie Lin is an illustrator and instructor in the AUArts Illustration program.

JARETT SITTER

Jarett Sitter is a full time Calgary based freelance artist and has worked extensively creating artwork within the music industry, and the world of publishing. Highlights from his illustration and animation career can be viewed at jaretts.com

BOBBY AND ASHLEY: EMBROIDERY STUDIO

Bobby and Ashley both graduated from AUArts with specialty in Glassblowing and drawing. They started their own embroidery studio last summer, and are currently offering customized local embroidery service, with hand draw design.As an international artist originally from Shanghai, China, Yuan Yin Bobby holds a bachelor’s degree of Art at University of Washington in Seattle and finished the master’s degree of fine art at Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary. Bobby’s works have been presented at Corning Museum of Glass, Pilchuck auction gala, Alberta Craft Council, etc. He worked at Museum of Glass Tacoma in 2018 and has been a teaching assistant at post secondary institutions 2016 to 2020. Currently, Bobby is on the Board of Directors at Immigration Council for Arts Innovation (ICAI) helping immigrant artists exploring opportunities sharing their works and distinct cultural identities.

RACHEL LI

I love creating art that tells a story. I draw inspiration from the fusion of my Chinese heritage and diaspora life, always exploring playful ways to blend cultures through different mediums. My work is a celebration of identity, connection, and handmade joy. You’ll often find me sipping tea, petting my cat, or sketching ideas sparked by the world around me. Sometimes you’ll even find me helping others tap into their own creative spark!

More artists to be announced!

SCREENING PROGRAM

A screening program will be looping throughout the day featuring films by and about Asian artists in Calgary, including the artists in the market! Feel free to drop by, take a seat, and enjoy the show!

HECKIN' WEENS

Directed by Vinson ChanA desperate animator tries to show his wiener to animation legend Don Hertzfeldt.

FROM KOREA TO CANADA

Directed by Kelly ChooThis sand art piece tells the emotional journey of an immigrant—between deep-rooted identity in Korea and a new beginning in Canada.Drawn with natural sand on illuminated glass, the imagery begins with a crane soaring over Korea’s quiet mountains and flows into the Rocky Mountains, a Canada goose in flight, and the Calgary Tower.Each scene symbolizes longing, courage, and hope, connecting movement and belonging, memory and dreams, into one continuous canvas.This is more than a landscape; it is the artist’s answer to the question, “Where do I come from, and where am I going?”Through the fleeting, flexible medium of sand, memories of home and stories of a new land flow together gently, but with profound beauty.

ENSŌ

Directed by EKS.REI and Jay Leeensō is an animated short film created in collaboration by artists EKS.REI and Jay Lee between 2021 - 2024.A running time of 5 minutes, this work bridges the analogue and digital disciplines of the artists; exploring the relationship between the transient and enduring.In Zen philosophy, ensō is a revered symbol embodying the cyclical, the absolute and the void.

Short films by VICKI VAN CHAU

Vicki Van Chau (周倩瑜) is a filmmaker, curator and cultural worker based in Calgary, Alberta on Treaty 7 territory. As a second generation Chinese-Vietnamese Canadian, her short films mainly focus on the Asian diaspora experience. Her family and cultural identity has been a core inspiration in her artistic practice and helps her to promote the appreciation of both Chinese and Vietnamese culture through a uniquely Canadian perspective. She has produced and directed several award-winning short films that have screened across Canada and internationally.

PULLED STRINGS

A father teaches his daughter the ancient art of hand pulled noodles.Pulled Strings is a short film that blends together traditional Chinese food and music, demonstrating the passing down of culture and traditions between generations. Exploring the intricate connection between the strands of the noodles with the strings of the instruments, it creates a poetic montage that emphasizes the beauty of Chinese craft and culture, and the unspoken relationship between a father and his daughter.

HEARTH OF THE LION

Hearth of the Lion illustrates the bond between three brothers, with their dedication, discipline and passion on display, as they embody the powerful movements of the lion and the fire of the wok hearth.

FOONYAP

FOONYAP is a classically trained violinist and vocalist who explores her cultural roots through her music. This intimate live performance was documented at Paper Lantern as part of the TD Music Connected Series, highlighting Asian-Canadian musicians, filmmakers and spaces.

OFF TO THE RACES

Part music video and part documentary, Off to the Races is a new arrangement of the classic Erhu song, Horse Race. The film is a collaboration between the Calgary Chinese Orchestra, filmmaker Vicki Van Chau, and music producer Warren Tse. Through an open call process, the film features 72 participants from the global music community playing with the members of the Calgary Chinese Orchestra, in celebration of the Lunar New Year.

PAPER LANTERN

A portrait of a Vietnamese-Canadian family opening up a restaurant and cocktail bar in Calgary's Chinatown, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Music videos by GINGER BEEF

Ginger Beef is on a mission to drag instrumental pop back into the mainstream.The band is the first major collaboration of the husband and wife team of award-winning flutist Jiajia Li and veteran producer/multi-instrumentalist Warren Tse (AKA MSG). Since moving to Calgary after getting her master’s degree in classical performance, Li’s profile has soared in numerous local music scenes, and you’ve almost certainly heard MSG’s work, even if you don’t know it. He has worked with Jann Arden, written music for the Calgary Stampede Evening Grandstand Show, and produced music for off-Broadway shows such as Chicago — he is also the organist for the Calgary Flames.The result: a gleaming pop artifact which balances dazzling instrumental performances and catchy melodies with deep grooves. Ginger Beef brings high-energy instrumental acrobatics to life with Li on a range of flutes — both Chinese and western — and MSG on synth, keys, and guitar. Backing up the duo are a lineup of top R&B and jazz players from Calgary’s robust Gospel music scene.Ginger Beef released their Juno-nominated debut album in October 2023, hitting #1 on CJSW, CFRU, and CJRU campus charts. The band has been nominated for three YYC Music Awards and has blown away crowds at music festivals (Sled Island, International Jazz Days Festival presented by JazzYYC, Calgary Folk Music Festival) and large venues (Calgary Flames and Stampeders games)

FLASHBACK

Directed by Ginger BeefA Chinese banquet goes plum loco.

DEW

Directed by Ginger Beef & GbohunmiOpening credits for The Ginger Beef Show.

HOCUS POCUS

Directed by GbohunmiA wild chase through scenic Downtown Calgary.

More films to be announced!

Presented as part of the InglewooDIY Festival

Check out other events happening in the historic Inglewood district from May 11 - 25, 2025 at the link below!