An Alberta A(r)titude Artist Talk: Sahar Te

Join us in the gallery for an Artist Talk with Sahar Te, one of the featured artists in Illingworth Kerr Gallery’s Winter 2026 exhibition, An Alberta A(r)ttitude.

In this one-hour talk, Te will walk the audience through the research and production of her latest media installation, Hearing Circles Approved Motion (2025–2026). The artist will discuss the themes and questions present in the work and how the work fits within the larger context of the exhibition, which focuses on the creative innovation of recent AUArts graduates.

Sahar Te (BFA 2017, Media Arts) is an Iranian-Canadian artist, filmmaker, and writer whose research-driven practice spans text, time-based media, and installation. Working between Toronto and Western Canada, she examines translation, displacement, and archival absences through experimental narratives that combine moving image, sound, and language.

About the Exhibition

For 100 years, Alberta University of the Arts has held a vital role as a hub of creative exploration in Alberta. In celebration of the university’s centennial, An Alberta A(r)ttitude showcases eight exceptional graduates from the past two decades—artists who embody the fearless spirit that has always defined our institution.

The artists in this exhibition represent more than individual talent—they embody a collective community shaped by decades of creative education, experimentation, and development. In their work, we see an Alberta a(r)ttitude: fierce, unwavering, and entirely unique.

Featured Artists:

Emily Promise Allison (BFA 2015,Sculpture), Haley Eyre (BDes 2019, Photography), Rhys Douglas Farrell (BFA 2016, Painting), Lyndon Navalta (BDes 2013, Visual Communication), Mia Riley (BFA 2016, Ceramics), Paityn Savoie (BDes 2024, Illustration & Character Design), Julia Rose Sutherland (BFA 2013, Craft and New Media), Sahar Te (BFA 2017, Media Arts)

Related Events:

• An Alberta A(r)titude Opening Reception | Thursday January 15, 5:00 - 8:00pm, Illingworth Kerr Gallery at Alberta University of the Arts
• Panel discussion: The State of Art Criticism in Western Canada with Levin Ifko, Tom Tait (Galleries West), and Joy Xiang (C Magazine) | Saturday January 17, 1:00–2:00 p.m. in the Stanford Perott Lecture Theater at Alberta University of the Arts

Image credit: Sahar Te, still from Hearing Circles Approved Motion, 2025. Courtesy of the artist.